After Los Angeles acquired Luka Doncic, some observers thought the Lakers would be a threat to Oklahoma City in the Western Conference.

Weeks have passed but the massive trade between the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers that sent Luka Doncic to the West Coast is still on the minds of players across the league. The NBA held its annual All-Star Weekend over the last few days,

The NBA trade deadline delivered one of the most shocking and unprecedented moves in recent memory, as the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks pulled off a

One NBA Hall of Famer thinks adding Luka made the Lakers better, but hinders their ability to beat the Thunder in a seven-game series. Nov 29, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) shoots the ball against Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) in the second half at Crypto.

NBA Hall of Famer Tim Hardaway doesn't believe the Los Angeles Lakers can beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs.

Copyright © 2025 Bleacher Report, Inc. A Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All Rights Reserved.

The Lakers have emerged as one of the league’s most improved teams — not just because of their roster overhaul but due to their consistent execution on the court. Projected as

The Lakers bested the Mavericks by a score of 107-99 and moved to 35-21 on the season. They currently occupy the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference at one game ahead of the Houston Rockets in the loss column, though both teams are 10.5 games behind the first-place Oklahoma City Thunder .

The Lakers are 15-4 in their last 19 games despite multiple disruptions. And the LeBron James-Luka Dončić pairing is just getting started.

The Los Angeles Lakers ... what make the Lakers a matchup problem for the Thunder a year ago was the rim protection from Anthony Davis to force Oklahoma City to settle for jump shots.