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Rob Pelinka Had the Perfect Word to Describe What Luka Doncic Joining Lakers Means for NBA

It was a shocking move for pretty much everyone in the NBA world.

Madison Williams

Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka looks at Luka Doncic during his introductory press conference.
Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka looks at Luka Doncic during his introductory press conference. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
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The Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks were involved in one of the biggest NBA trades in history over the weekend as Dallas sent Luka Doncic to Los Angeles for Anthony Davis in return, along with other details included.

The trade came as a shock to pretty much everyone in the NBA world, and Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka had the perfect word to describe the significance of the Doncic move: Seismic.

"I think Luka Doncic joining forces with the Los Angeles Lakers is a seismic event in NBA history," Pelinka said during Doncic's introductory press conference on Tuesday. "The reason I say that is because we have a 25-year-old global superstar that's going to get on the stage of the most popular, influential basketball brand on the globe."

This was a huge move, to say the least. The move has made other NBA superstars nervous that they could be traded unexpectedly next, including Nikola Jokic and Stephen Curry, as they argued that "nobody's safe" in the league.

Doncic is hoping to make a big impact when joining the Lakers, with the ultimate goal of winning a championship, something the 25-year-old hasn't done yet in his career. The Mavericks were runners-up to the Boston Celtics last season.

Fans will get to see at least this rest of this season just how impactful of a move it was for the Lakers to trade for Doncic. It's unknown how long the Lakers plan to keep Doncic on the team as he is set to sign a contract extension this offseason. He missed out on his supermax eligibility with the Mavericks when he was traded.

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Madison Williams
MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.

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