The game will be the first against Doncic and the Lakers since his emotional return to American Airlines Center on April 9. The Mavericks and Lakers have recently become one of the NBA’s marquee matchups since Doncic was stunningly traded on Feb. 1 in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick.

In the aftermath of the trade, the Mavericks, despite long odds, secured the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. They are widely expected to select Duke 's standout forward, Cooper Flagg, a prospect hailed for his versatility and potential to become a franchise cornerstone.

This has left the Lakers with a big need at the center position, and Bitadze could make sense in a larger role for Los Angeles. Bitadze is a strong rim protector and he can work i

With the NBA Finals set to begin later this week, the Los Angeles Lakers are already looking ahead to the 2025-26 season.

Doncic's arrival, combined with the greatness of LeBron James and emergence of Austin Reaves, helped Los Angeles secure the third seed in the Western Conference. This made the Lakers' early exit even more surprising, as it was a lower-seeded Minnesota team that prevailed in just five games.

Explore the latest offseason moves for the Lakers as they look to reshape their roster and address key positions.

Star Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna — who both perished in a Jan. 2020 helicopter crash — was defaced last month in downtown Los Angeles, the greater L.A. community was stunned.

Reid was a key piece off of the bench for Minnesota in the franchise's first-round victory over the Lakers and second-round series win over Golden State. Some projections have Reid commanding as much as $20 million annually on a new deal this summer.