How does the Lakers landing Luka Doncic affect the Western Conference hierarchy after the NBA trade deadline? Can anyone catch the OKC Thunder?

Lakers: Acquired Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a future first-round pick. Also traded Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2031 unprotected first-round pick and a 2030 pick swap to the Charlotte Hornets for Mark Williams.

A few weeks ago, a league executive told me to expect a relatively quiet trade deadline, one without a blockbuster deal. There were too many cap restrictions, more buyers than sellers on the market, and a general pessimism about deals getting done.

Doncic, who had dragged an otherwise unremarkable Mavericks team through the Western Conference, became the face of their failure. Dallas coach Jason Kidd was forced to come out and defend his maligned star, even though without Doncic, the Mavericks were a faded Kyrie Irving and a bunch of role players.

Luka Dončić is attempting to make his Los Angeles Lakers debut on Monday against the Utah Jazz, according to NBA insider Marc Stein. Dončić hasn't played in