Davis quietly finished his last game with the Lakers and will never wear a Lakers jersey again. Luka has joined the Lakers, while Davis went to the Mavericks, taking along a first-round pick and Christie, who I really like.

With this trade, the Mavericks suddenly became championship favorites.

What’s the Lakers’ motive? Can James and Luka win a championship together? No. This trade has nothing to do with the team’s playing style or this year’s championship pursuit. It’s purely about securing a franchise star for the next decade or so after James retires. This isn’t the first time the Lakers have done something like this—they’ve previously brought in Chamberlain, O’Neal, and James through similar strategies.

The Lakers need a face of the franchise, and this move is purely a business decision. In the future, we’ll see James and Luka play together for about a year and a half. When James is 41 or 42, maybe he’ll finally retire, and then the next franchise star will be Luka Dončić.

Just wait—this is the Lakers we’re talking about.