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Valentina Martinez is a Newsweek contributor based in Los Angeles. Her focus is reporting on sports, with an expertise in baseball. She has in depth knowledge of the Los Angeles sports community and has covered professional sports extensively. Valentina joined Newsweek in 2024 and had previously worked at The Chargers Wire. She is a graduate of Arizona State University. You can get in touch with Valentina by emailing v.martinez@newsweek.com. You can find her on X @ValentinaMrtnz_ Languages: English, Spanish.
Contributing Sports Writer
A pair of Western Conference teams astonished the NBA world with their acquisition of some of basketball's biggest stars. The Los Angeles Lakers stunned just about everyone when they traded Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Luka Doncic. A few days later, the Golden State Warriors traded for Jimmy Butler in an effort to shake up the West.
More news: Least Improved NBA Teams Following Trade Deadline
While the Warriors welcoming Butler to the West Coast was a risk, the Lakers trading for Doncic secured the future of the franchise.
There is no question whether Butler is a talented player, but the dramatic story that unfolded in Miami brings into question whether he is the right fit for the Warriors. Additionally, Butler had initial hesitation in going to the Bay.
Steph Curry's candid comments following the Butler trade didn't exactly portray excitement.
"We know who Jimmy is," he said. "Been to two Finals. He's a winner. I understand there was a lot of drama [in Miami], and who really knows what the story is? We expect to have a motivated, committed Jimmy that's ready to impact our team for the better.
"We've got to work out the kinks of what it looks like and I'm excited to get to work and kind of feed off the energy of something new. He's somebody that's obviously had experience at the highest levels. He has a lot to prove in a new situation, and we're going to try to help each other do that."
Meanwhile, the Lakers not only secured their next face of the franchise in Doncic, but also gave the team their best chance of winning one more ring with LeBron James.
Doncic has publicly said James is his idol, and the NBA veteran has nothing but praise for the arrival of the Lakers' next generational star.
"Luka's been my favorite player in the NBA for a while now," James said. "I think you guys know that. And I've always just tried to play the game the right way and inspire the next generation. And Luka happens to be one of them. And now, we're teammates. So it'll be a very seamless transition."
The Butler trade was shocking for the Warriors coaches and players, but the Doncic trade stunned the entire league.
Hollywood outshined the Bay.
More news: Most Improved Teams From 2025 NBA Trade Deadline
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