The league-altering trade acquisition of ex-Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Dončić prior to the Feb. 6 trade deadline has worked wonders for the Los Angeles Lakers to this juncture, as the team has enjoyed a meteoric rise through the Western Conference standings.
Currently positioned as the No. 4 seed in the West with a 40-23 record, it would appear as though the team could be primed for a deep postseason push.
On the other hand, it’s plausible to believe that the Lakers’ general manager Rob Pelinka could only be in the beginning stages of a master plan to turn the storied franchise into an outright title favorite for the 2025-26 season.
In an effort address the team’s continued lack of frontcourt depth while building a fearsome contender this summer, Pelinka could make it his mission to provide Dončić and future Hall of Fame inductee LeBron James with a three-time All-Star center from the Sacramento Kings, Domantas Sabonis, through yet another league-altering transaction.
If Pelinka were to negotiate a deal with Sacramento, this hypothetical trade scenario would see the Lakers give up rising star guard Austin Reaves and the contracts of Jarred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent, Shake Milton along with first-round draft capital.
Though parting with Reaves would surely be a tough pill to swallow for the organization, there’s no denying how perfect of an acquisition Sabonis would be for this specific Lakers roster.
At 28 years old, Sabonis has proven to be one of the league’s most versatile and utterly dominant frontcourt players, as he’s boasting averages of 19.5 points, 14.1 rebounds and 6.2 assists on an absurd 66.2% true shooting percentage.
The two-time All-NBA Team selection and rebounding champion could be a wonderful fit next to the generational passing duo of Dončić and James, as he’s also garnered a reputation as arguably the most gifted play-making center in the NBA aside from the Denver Nuggets’ three-time MVP Nikola Jokić.
Los Angeles’ prospective Big Three would likely be able to play a beautiful, run-and-gun style of basketball under head coach JJ Redick, who has already been trotting out small-ball lineups that emphasize agility and the goal of getting out in transition.
Perfectly enough, all three superstar talents have thrived in that kind of system.
Reaves’ massive offensive contributions of 18.8 points and 5.9 assists have been essential to the Lakers’ recent success this season, but Pelinka may not think twice about agreeing to a deal of this nature in principle if given the chance.
Unfortunately, Reaves heading to Sacramento would create a log-jam of ball-dominant guards with Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk, making this hypothetical concept one that may never make its way into discussions between the two organizations.
