"Sorry about that LeBron James" - Skip Bayless drops his 2 cents on Lakers' Luka Doncic blockbuster trade, flags big concern for LA

Skip Bayless, renowned for his criticism of LeBron James, has made some scathing remarks about the Lakers in the aftermath of the Luka Doncic trade, which has left the basketball world in shock. As Laker nation rejoices at the prospect of LeBron and Luka teaming up, and the Mavericks fans reel over the loss of their generational star, the former 'Undisputed' host believes that the Mavericks are the winners of the trade as things stand.

Bayless, in an 11-minute post, discusses the trade and his feelings about it in detail. While he states that the Lakers are a must-see team for the future, he remarks about how they have ruined their chances of immediate contention and apologizes to the aging LeBron, indicating there may not be another ring on the horizon for King James as he approaches his NBA twilight.

"I think you got a real eye basketball team. The one in LA will be must-see TV, can't take your eyes off them. I just think they're going nowhere slowly now for the rest of this year in LA. And I find that very sad for LeBron bleeping James. Way to go, Dallas! Sorry about that, LeBron!" said Skip Bayless, concluding his detailed take on the blockbuster trade that had the NBA world shook.

Skip comments on how the Mavericks look much more competitive now, after the move, with Kyrie Irving taking the reins and with the likes of Klay Thompson, Quentin Grimes, PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II, Spencer Dinwiddie, and now Anthony Davis and Max Christie playing a deep supporting cast. According to the pundit, the team now has more balance, greater depth, and better complementary pieces to their stars than they had with Luka to mount a legitimate championship run.

Most of Skip's criticism of the Lakers stems from concerns about the team's defensive identity and the lack of reliable big men. Bayless points out that a team cannot contend with Jaxson Hayes as their only big man, and while this remains a concern, it is surely something the Lakers have identified and would look to address before the trade deadline.

The Lakers have been linked to centers such as Walker Kessler and Myles Turner

Moving Anthony Davis to acquire Luka Doncic was monumental, and while there are roster concerns, it is impossible to envision the Lakers passing on an opportunity to acquire a generational talent without much competition when it presented itself as a trade offer. AD was a crucial piece to their NBA bubble championship and almost single-handedly anchored their defensive plans. However, he was often injured and is heading into his mid-30s.

The Lakers' new superstar duo- Source: Getty

With Luka and LeBron James, the team now has the only two players in the history of the league to average 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists for their careers. Building a team around two of the most cerebral players would not be as challenging as assembling a roster with two such talents. Naturally, the Lakers are on the market and have been rumored with various rim-protecting big men, such as the Utah Jazz's Walker Kessler and the Indiana Pacers' Myles Turner.

Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Christian Wood are likely to be players who could be shipped in moves that could return a center to the Lakers. Maxi Kleber, who was acquired in the trade for Luka, could prove to be an asset to their big man rotation once he recovers from his injury and Jaxson Hayes could be a useful rotation big too. However, utilizing their assets to acquire a starting-caliber center to protect the rim is likely to be a move the Lakers make to achieve win-now status after making what is likely to be considered one of the most monumental trades in all of basketball.

Robert Williams and Clint Capela are two other names that have been linked with the Lakers recently. While they may seem less attractive in comparison to Kessler or Turner, they could be enough to temporarily stabilize the team ahead of what could be a huge off-season for the Lakers.