OKC Thunder Have Two Dates Remaining Against New-Look Lakers

The Oklahoma City Thunder will take on Luka Doncic and the new-look Los Angeles Lakers twice this season both inside the Paycom Center, which will be valuable matchups.

Dec 12, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) talks with Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) after the Mavericks defeat the Lakes at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Well, the NBA World is still reeling from the trade heard around the world on Saturday. A swap that sent 25-year-old Superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for 31-year-old All-Star Anthony Davis.

This completely shakes up each team - and the league. Though, more importantly for the Oklahoma City Thunder, the playoff picture. While the debates will rage on as to if either side got better to matchup with the West's No. 1 seed, this trade without question changing to identity of each squad.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have already finished its regular season series with the Dallas Mavericks in four injury riddled contests that bare out no true indicators for what a postseason rematch would look like. With that out of the window, the Thunder and Mavericks - should they meet in the playoffs - will head into the series without a feel for how the new-look rosters fare against one another.

However, the Oklahoma City Thunder do have the benefit of two games against the Los Angeles Lakers. Currently, the Purple and Gold are the Western Conference's No. 5 seed with a 28-19 mark.

If the Lakers hover around the No. 4 or 5 seed, as many project, this could easily be a second-round matchup the Thunder have to deal with. The benefit for Oklahoma City is not just the two remaining games against the Lakers, but how and when they fall.

The Thunder will take on the Lakers on April 6 and 8 both inside the Paycom Center. While scouting for individual games in the regular season is something that is difficult to pull off if Mark Daigneault wants to Oklahoma City can dive fully into this baseball-series.

With an off day ahead of the first meeting and between the second, the Thunder can install game plans and make adjustments while collecting data on how to best attack the new-look Lakers. It sets up nicely for both sides so long as each team is healthy and playing its best guys on those dates.

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