The NBA seemed set for a quiet trade deadline in 2025 as a new Collective Bargaining Agreement tormented teams with multiple luxury tax aprons and more punitive restrictions for increasing payroll. So much for that.

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Rob Pelinka, the Lakers ’ general manager and frequent target of the team’s fan base for inaction on the trade market, sat in front of cameras and told everyone there was no way to wave a “magic wand” and make the right center appear.

The NBA trade deadline arrives tomorrow at 3 p.m. ET. Kevin Durant, Jimmy Butler and other stars could still be on the move, but it's already been a wild deadline. That's because the Dallas Mavericks stunned the basketball world late Saturday night by sending Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for a package headlined by Anthony Davis.

The dust is still settling after the Luka Dončić trade that shook the NBA world to its core. But what is certain is the Los Angeles Lakers still have work to do to balance their roster between now and Thursday’s trade deadline.