After the LA Lakers traded for Lebron James and Anthony Davis in 2019 the organization were hoping for years of success and multiple championships to come with that. It started perfectly for the franchise as in 2020, the LA Lakers won the 2020 NBA Championship in the bubble.
This success would be short-lived as the team crashed out in the first round of 2021 to the Phoenix Suns, the next year would be even worse as in 2022, the Lakers missed the playoffs.
Despite the last two years being so disappointing they still had two of the best players in the NBA, Lebron James and Anthony Davis. Come the play offs there was always the chance to win.
That was true, as despite being a 7th seed they beat both the Memphis Grizzlies and the Golden State Warriors in six to reach the Western Conference Finals where they would face the eventual winners of the NBA Championship Denver Nuggets and be dismantled highlighting the weaknesses in the team.
The next year would be another disappointing season as they faced the Nuggets again in the first round. They were knocked out by the same team two seasons in a row.
It was clear that the squad needing changing as well as the management and the fans were crying out for Darvin Ham to be sacked as they deemed him not good enough after two disappointing seasons at the organization.
ESPN Sources: JJ Redick has agreed on a four-year contract to become the next coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Rob Pelinka offered job this morning and Redick’s started working on a staff to surround himself with experience. pic.twitter.com/G66eVFRALp
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 20, 2024
As a replacement Lakers GM Rob Pelinka hired JJ Redick on in his first coaching role after retiring as a player, this was a big gamble with one of the biggest franchises in the NBA appointing a new head coach.
In the season leading up to the trade deadline, the Lakers were still really inconsistent, Lebron James’s defense seemed to slowing down but at 40 that was to be expected.
With the trade deadline fast approaching fans were expecting movement from the team to freshen up the roster, which came as Dorian Finney-Smith came in for the outgoing D’Angelo Russell.
That wasn’t the end of the trades. The biggest trade in history happened seemingly out of nowhere when Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris of the Dallas Mavericks were traded for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2030 Lakers first-round pick.
Yes, this is real. Sources tell ESPN: Full trade:
– Lakers: Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris
– Mavericks: Anthony Davis, Max Christie, 2029 LAL 1st
– Jazz: Jalen Hood-Schifino, 2025 Clippers 2nd, 2025 Mavericks 2nd https://t.co/bltojdTaQj
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 2, 2025
This trade was the biggest the sport had ever seen and was a great moment for the Lakers as they had inherited a 25-year-old superstar that they could build their team around for the next 10 years.
With Lakers big man Davis leaving there were plenty of questions around the defence from the team, as they’d tarded away their best defensive piece.
Since the trade the Lakers have been the best defence in the league with their effort and grit which has helped them win their last 14 out of 16 games.
This has put them as the second seed behind the OKC Thunder. With 21 games left of the NBA season for the Lakers, they have put themselves in a really good position to win the championship.
If the Lakers continue the way they are playing in the playoffs, they will be incredibly hard to break down.
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