Luka Doncic Trade Makes Lakers Elite Title Contenders in Latest NBA Championship Odds

The Los Angeles Lakers have their heir apparent to LeBron James, and it's not Anthony Davis.

Late on Saturday night, the Lakers acquired star guard Luka Doncic in a three-team deal with the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz, sending Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick to Dallas in the deal.

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

The blockbuster trade sent shockwaves throughout the NBA, and it caused a massive shift in the odds to win the NBA Finals.

The Lakers, who picked up a win over the New York Knicks to remain in the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference on Saturday, are now the No. 6 choice in the odds at DraftKings Sportsbook. Out of Western Conference teams, they are only behind the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets.

Now, the Doncic deal may not be the last for Los Angeles. As of now, the Lakers only healthy centers are Jaxson Hayes, Trey Jemison and Christian Koloko. If the team truly wants to compete for a title, it may have to move Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt or Rui Hachimura in order to land a big man to support Doncic and LeBron James.

In addition to that, the Lakers don't have Doncic right away -- or so it seems. The star guard has been out with a calf strain since Christmas, although he hopes to return to action before the All-Star Game later this month.

The Lakers' odds to win the Finals are currently +2000 -- an implied probability of 4.76 percent. Los Angeles now is in a great position to avoid the play-in tournament in the West, and it's set up for the long haul with Doncic presumably becoming the face of the franchise once James' career comes to a close.

For bettors, it may be time to buy the Lakers (if you're a fan of the Doncic deal) before another trade potentially comes in before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.