How Luka Doncic Trade Affects OKC Thunder

The Dallas Mavericks are sending Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, as the details were released of the massive blockbuster trade on Saturday night.

The Mavericks will also be acquiring Max Christie and a 2029 first-round draft pick, as the Lakers will receive Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris additionally. Currently, Dallas sits in the No. 8 slot in the West, as Los Angeles sits at No. 5.

This trade affects the Oklahoma City Thunder quite heavily as the team navigates the road as the leading team in the conference, clearing the top spot by 6.5 games just before the All-Star break. From a high level, we'll delve into how Oklahoma City will have to approach this new landscape between two teams in the West.

To begin, Los Angeles adding Doncic will be be an interesting play to watch unfold for the Lakers. Now without a bonafide center, Los Angeles runs the risk of playing relatively small which could certainly work in favor of the Thunder, a team that loves to run on the break with small lineups on the floor.

In one game versus Oklahoma City this season, Davis posted 15 points and 12 boards in the Lakers' 101-93 loss to the Thunder. Though, in the past two seasons, he has feasted on Oklahoma City's lack of interior size, putting up stat lines like 26 points and 11 rebounds, 27 points and 15 rebounds and more. Without Davis in Los Angeles, the Thunder should have no qualms with how this affects their meetings despite the natural scoring prowess of Doncic.

To expand on that, the Mavericks missing Doncic, in relation to their meetings versus the Thunder, will not be a vast difference maker in how well they are able to score the ball when acknowledging the addition of Davis Yes, Doncic is an unbelievable scorer who does so at will, and he is a massive difference maker, Though, when looking at the past two seasons in bouts versus the Thunder, Lu Dort and co. have been able to limit his scoring quite impressively.

In Doncic's previous five games against Oklahoma City, including last year's playoff series, the Thunder has subdued him to just 23.2 points per game, five points under his current average as he has been sidelined since late December.

Though the threat of Doncic is leaving, which allows Dort and others to expend their energy elsewhere, the addition of Davis alongside Kyrie Irving should be a bit concerning for the Thunder, as Oklahoma City still hasn't quite been able to crack this team's code. A team that is Oklahoma City's achilles heel, Dallas' new front court toy won't be welcomed in Bricktown as Mark Daigneault and his team continue to try and break down the Mavericks' interior.

Moreover, Doncic hadn't been the primary point of contention throughout these games, though he was garnering a great amount of effort to nullify, it was the likes of P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford, among others who have made a significant impact since last year's playoff meeting.

Additionally, in Oklahoma City's three losses to Dallas this season, the Thunder has been out-rebounded by 139-108 and outscored in the paint 134-124, Davis will only continue to add to the threat Dallas holds as he imparts his skill set inside the paint.

The Thunder should be well aware of the damage Davis is able to cause, and now on a team which has imparted that same style of damage several times in the past two seasons, it's something that will have to be on Oklahoma City's radar if it hopes to be the team that comes out of the Western Conference into the NBA Finals.

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