Lakers’ NBA Championship Odds Soar After Luka Doncic Trade

If you had the Dallas Mavericks trading Luka Doncic on your 2025 NBA Trade Deadline Bingo Card, you might want to tip your psychic better. 

The Los Angeles Lakers pulled off one of the sheistiest moves in the league’s history on Saturday, prying perennial MVP candidate Luka Doncic away from the Mavs. Granted, the Lakers had to give up five-time All-NBA center Anthony Davis, former 35th-overall draft pick Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick to get the deal done. Still, the seismic shift in betting odds supports the claim that LA won the Doncic trade.

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Lakers’ Championship Odds Soar

As has been the case over the past few seasons, the Lakers were hovering as a mid-range team in the Western Conference. They currently sit fifth in the standings, ranking in the second tier of contending teams. Before the Doncic trade, Los Angeles was a distant +4000 on the NBA Championship futures board. 

The Lakers saw a massive swing in their betting odds following the deal. Heading into the stretch drive of the 2024-25 season, LA is priced with the sixth-best odds, currently listed at +1400. Considering the influx of money on the Lakers, another downward shift could be on the horizon.

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Deluge of Bets and Money Coming in on LA

There’s been no shortage of Lakers action in the futures market. Since the Doncic trade, 64% of the bets and 57% of the money have been on LA. While that represents a huge shift in public perception, the staggering amount of handle also accounts for some hefty sharp wagers. 

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What About the Mavericks?

Predictably, moving on from Doncic also had a negative impact on the Mavericks’ betting odds. The reigning Western Conference Champions’ odds plunged from +2000 to +3000. Moreover, the move left plenty of sharp bettors holding less valuable tickets. 

Before the trade, the Mavs were a safe haven for professional bettors. While Dallas futures tickets accounted for only 5.6% of the bets, those slips represented nearly 10.0% of the betting handle. Naturally, some of those bettors likely migrated to the Lakers as soon as the deal was announced. 

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Lakers Roster Moving Forward

The Lakers frontcourt looks weaker without Anthony Davis patrolling the interior. Nevertheless, Jaxson Hayes will see increased action and is penciled in as the Lakers’ starting center moving forward. LeBron James and Rui Hachimura fill the power and shooting forward roles, respectively. Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris, who were also acquired with Doncic, round out the Lakers’ big men.

Luka Doncic hasn’t played since Christmas Day, but when he’ll slot into his natural point guard role as soon as he’s cleared. That leaves Austin Reaves to move back into the 2-spot, with Dalton Knecht acting as the sixth man.

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When Will Doncic Suit Up for LA?

Sadly, the Lakers faithful will have to patiently wait to catch a glimpse of their newest roster addition. Doncic continues to resolve a calf injury that has kept him sidelined for the past six weeks. Still, the latest reports confirm that the MVP finalist should return before the All-Star Break. 

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Final Thoughts – Perception vs. Performance

The perception of the Doncic trade catapulted the Lakers into another stratosphere. Suddenly, LA is tabbed as a frontrunner for this year’s NBA Championship. While some of that movement is warranted, how this team performs with LeBron and Doncic as a two-headed monster remains to be seen. 

In that regard, keep a close eye on the line movement and futures odds as soon as Doncic returns to the court. Unlike the perception of a trade, the betting odds never lie.