“Luka Doncic to the Lakers”: Skip Bayless Claims Anthony Davis More Likely to Win NBA Title With Kyrie Irving Than LeBron James

Everyone’s talking about the Los Angeles Lakers’ blockbuster trade with the Dallas Mavericks that will have Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis switching cities. Skip Bayless naturally had to give his take on the trade in the form of an 11-minute video on X, where the longtime sports broadcaster shared his thoughts on the league-altering move.

Bayless made his stance clear before ever beginning his video. In his post, he writes, “AD is in a BETTER spot to win now with Kyrie than he was with LeBron.” Despite claiming that the Lakers were already in a good spot to compete for a Western Conference Finals berth, Bayless believes that the Mavericks are now more built for the present than Los Angeles is.

AD is in BETTER spot to win now with Kyrie than he was with LeBron pic.twitter.com/8dgYbsbixv

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) February 2, 2025

When Bayless first came on video, he was as shocked about the move as everyone else was. “Wow,” the 73-year-old opened, “Luka [Doncic] to the Lakers, what?” Skip underlined how big of a change this was for Los Angeles, who he didn’t believe needed to make this massive of a move.

He seemed a bit perplexed by the idea of shipping off Anthony Davis in the midst of one of his best seasons but knows owner Jeanie Buss wanted to add a star capable of taking over the mantle for LeBron James.

Bayless emphasized how the Lakers have found their next face of the franchise for possibly the next decade, but the Mavericks are in better shape now. With two stars in their prime in Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, the Mavericks now boast one of the most well-rounded rotations in the NBA.

Bayless believes the current Mavs are now better constructed to compete for a championship in the present and near future.

Skip Bayless loves how the Dallas Mavericks look now

After his initial reactions, Bayless gushed over the new-look Mavericks. While the Lakers will have to address the hole in their frontcourt and figure out how to balance two usage-heavy superstars, Dallas now possesses a team capable of a title run. Skip emphasized how Mavericks GM, Nico Harrison stated how defense wins championships, so he went out and got an All-Defensive big man.

Now, the Mavs have an incredibly balanced roster that Bayless believes has a chance to make a push for the Western Conference Finals.

Bayless also took time to heap praise on Kyrie Irving, who will now be the alpha in Dallas. While the 33-year-old has proven capable of taking a backseat throughout his career, Irving is now the lone backcourt star for the Mavs.

While Davis will certainly command his fair share of shots, Kyrie will have his first opportunity as the only ball-handling star on the team for the first time since his early years in Cleveland.