The Los Angeles Lakers had a bleak future just six months ago, but the blockbuster Luka Doncic trade immediately changed that. It felt like they didn’t have enough to acquire a true alpha to take the mantle from LeBron James, but a foolish move by the Mavericks allowed the Lakers to do the impossible. They now have an in-his-prime superstar to lead them for the next decade-plus.
The Lakers make it look easy, but finding an alpha is far from it. Fans have to look no further than the six straight years missing the playoffs between the Kobe Bryant and LeBron eras.