As the Boston Celtics prepare for their next game, their biggest historical rival and their most recent rival just broke the NBA. According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the Dallas Mavericks have traded Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick.
The Celtics vs. the Lakers is one of the biggest rivalries in professional sports, and Boston just beat Dallas in the Finals this past June. Both of these teams have a connection to the Celtics, and they just sent the rest of the league into a whirlwind of emotions.
But neither team is on the Celtics’ level, even after the deal.
Luka Doncic trade to Lakers still doesn't put them or Mavericks on same level as Celtics
Boston just won an NBA Championship. And despite their struggles this season, they still have one of the best rosters in the league. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, and Kristaps Porzingis are an incredible core, and that’s without even throwing in Payton Pritchard and Al Horford.
The Lakers now boast a lineup that includes Doncic and LeBron James. But they don’t have a starting-caliber center, and a back-court of Doncic and Austin Reaves will be awful on defense.
The Mavs have Davis and Kyrie Irving, but is that duo good enough to lead a championship team? Can they stack up with the top-end talent of the Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder, or even the New York Knicks?
The Celtics’ roster is still unequivocally better than both the Lakers and the Mavericks.
All the reports coming out stated that the Mavs made this deal without telling the rest of the league. They want to be better right now, and perhaps they are, but it ruins their chances of improving in the future.
Davis is turning 32 years old soon, and his injury history makes him a liability moving forward.
And even though the Lakers just got the type of player who can lead their team for the next decade, the Celtics already proved that they can beat a Doncic-led squad in a series.
Doncic’s defensive deficiencies make him beatable, especially for a team like the Celtics, who have an elite two-way lineup.
Both of these teams made this deal. One to improve right now, the other to improve in the future. But the Celtics are better than the Mavs right now, and they’ll still be better than the Lakers with Doncic in the future.
Boston remains ahead of both of their rivals.