It still isn't sinking in for some that Luka Doncic is now a member of the Los Angeles Lakers after the Dallas Mavericks inexplicably traded him away without warning on Saturday night. It's unfathomable that the Lakers now have their franchise cornerstone for the next 10 or so years, and the Mavericks didn't even need to bleed them dry in such a trade. Nonetheless, it's not quite clear yet when Doncic will be making his debut for the Lakers, although there is already plenty of anticipation building up to his debut for the Purple and Gold.
Doncic is already in Los Angeles, which is not where he envisioned himself would be at this point especially when he was planning to buy a house in Dallas in recent months. And Doncic appears to be embracing full Lakers pride with open arms, as he was seen donning a Lakers hoodie on Monday.
There is still a sense of cognitive dissonance that arises whenever a picture of Doncic in a Lakers jersey or him in a Lakers gear makes the rounds. It still does not feel real, although with each passing day, it's becoming more and more of a reality that the Mavericks, indeed, have traded Doncic away and that the Lakers have another all-time great waiting in the wings to lead the way for the team long-term.
There are reports that Doncic could make his return to action prior to the All-Star break. It will definitely be a sight to behold to see Doncic finally lace up his sneakers for the Lakers, especially when he's going to be lining up alongside one of his idols in LeBron James.
Lakers exceptionalism continues with Luka Doncic trade

The Lakers, somehow, someway, find a way to keep landing on their feet. There was this sense of uncertainty regarding their future, what with LeBron James on the precipice of retirement, but now, Luka Doncic landed on their lap and is ready to lead them moving forward.
Good things keep on finding their way to the Lakers franchise. Every decade, it seems like there is a franchise-altering move that propels them to a future of contention; in the 1970s, they got Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, in the 1980s, they got Magic Johnson, in the 1990s, they got Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, in the 2000s, they got Pau Gasol, and then in the 2010s, they got LeBron James. And now, in the 2020s, they managed to acquire Doncic? Never rule out the Lakers in any hypothetical trade ever again.