Luka Doncic hardly is the first superstar to be traded to or from a local team, but the newest Laker brings with him such a rare combination of a sensational track record and so much promise for the future that this feels different.
Doncic, who was acquired Saturday from the Dallas Mavericks, was introduced Tuesday at the team’s practice facility in El Segundo, sparking comparisons to other game-changing players who arrived in the region via trade.
Here’s a chronological look at 15 trades that shook the local sports scene, starting with the first by the Lakers that led to a championship and ending with the Doncic deal:
Wilt Chamberlain to the Lakers, July 9, 1968: Chamberlain already had a title and four MVP awards when the Lakers landed him just before he turned 32, but he helped the Lakers reach the NBA Finals four times and win it all in 1972 – the season that included their record 33-game winning streak.
Nolan Ryan to the Angels, Dec. 10, 1971: Forget that GM Buzzie Bavasi later let him go with the insult that he could replace him with two 8-7 pitchers. For a time, the Angels had the most exciting pitcher in baseball, and he threw four of his record seven no-hitters and a modern-era record 383 strikeouts in a season for them.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the Lakers, June 16, 1975: Like Chamberlain, he had a title and multiple MVPs when the Lakers traded for him. But Abdul-Jabbar played 14 seasons with the Lakers, won another three MVPs, set the since-topped NBA scoring record and, once Magic Johnson was drafted, won five championships.
Eric Dickerson from the Rams, Oct. 31, 1987: Rams fans might rank this as the No. 2 worst moment in franchise history behind that temporary – OK, 21-season – relocation to St. Louis. Dickerson was one of the top players in the league and ran for nearly 7,000 yards in his first four seasons. The Rams got two running backs and six picks in return, but Dickerson had three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons for the Colts and ended up in the Hall of Fame.
Wayne Gretzky to the Kings, Aug. 9, 1988: Canadian fans despised this deal so much that government officials tried to stop it. Gretzky won a Hart Trophy in his first season, had 918 points in eight seasons and reached one Stanley Cup Final with the Kings. More important, he changed the region’s relationship with hockey forever. The Anaheim Ducks would not exist without this trade.
Teemu Selanne to the Ducks, Feb. 7, 1996: His arrival created one of the most lethal one-two punches in the region’s history with Paul Kariya. Selanne was traded to San Jose in 2001, but his relationship with the Ducks led to a reunion in 2005, a Stanley Cup in 2007 and his status as one of the most popular athletes ever in Orange County.
Kobe Bryant to the Lakers, July 11, 1996: Those who remember Bryant wasn’t drafted by the Lakers might argue that this was the most consequential trade in local sports history. After all, Bryant – acquired after the Charlotte Hornets picked him – was part of five championship teams in his 20 seasons with the Lakers, earned one MVP award and two NBA Finals MVPs and 18 All-Star selections in his Hall of Fame career.
Mike Piazza from the Dodgers, May 14, 1998: This was the Dodgers’ version of the Dickerson deal, though Piazza was even more popular locally. The future Hall of Famer was sent to the Florida Marlins in a trade that brought the Dodgers Gary Sheffield, but it angered a lot of fans that they didn’t reach a contract extension with the big-hitting catcher. He quickly went to the New York Mets, the team whose cap he wears on his plaque in Cooperstown.
Pau Gasol to the Lakers, Feb. 1, 2008: Bryant won his first three titles with Shaquille O’Neal, but once the big man was traded to Miami in 2004 it took some time for the Lakers to return to the top. The addition of Gasol from Memphis, however, immediately elevated them. They went to the NBA Finals three years in a row and won back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010.
Anthony Davis to the Lakers, July 6, 2019: When the Lakers got Davis from New Orleans, the results were immediate. The Lakers won their first title since 2010 with the combination of Davis’ presence in the middle and LeBron James.
Paul George to the Clippers, July 10, 2019: This seemed like it could be exactly what the Clippers needed to reach the top when combined with Kawhi Leonard’s signing. The Clippers, however, reached the conference finals only once in George’s time with the team.
Mookie Betts to Dodgers, Feb. 10, 2020: Some wonder if Red Sox fans hate this more than Dodger fans love it. Betts had won a title with Boston and was adored there. He’s at two World Series titles with the Dodgers so far and made it clear following their triumph over the Yankees that he’s not done.
Matthew Stafford to Rams, March 18, 2021: The Rams’ swap of quarterbacks with the Detroit Lions led immediately to their only Super Bowl title in Los Angeles, so some of their local fans consider this the ultimate trade. It’s hard to argue from a local NFL standpoint.
Kelsey Plum to Sparks, Feb. 1, 2025: This significant WNBA deal was instantly overshadowed by the Doncic trade, but the three-time All-Star should lift the Sparks from a forgettable 2024 season.
Luka Doncic to Lakers. Feb. 1, 2025: The shocking trade draws justified comparisons to some of the biggest in the region’s history. Doncic only turns 26 on Feb. 28 and already is a five-time All-NBA selection. Now he joins James and could long be the face of a franchise that thrives on superstar power.