The Dončić deal positions the Lakers extremely well for the future — especially when a bumper crop of stars might become available.

The Los Angeles Lakers are the talk of the NBA world. People around the league are still confused about how they were able to acquire Luka Doncic. Doncic is a top-five player in the league and is still just 25 years old. He isn't in his prime yet, and trading him for Anthony Davis was a no-brainer for the Lakers.

The Trail Blazers would likely want to make room to have more minutes for Donovan Clingan, who they recently selected early in the 2024 NBA Draft. For the Lakers, meanwhile, Ayton could have at least some tangible valuable as a player who has postseason experience and tremendous size on the inside.