The Los Angeles Lakers made one of the boldest midseason moves in NBA history, shipping Anthony Davis to Dallas in exchange for Luka Dončić. It’s a trade that shifted the team’s identity—offensive firepower in, defensive backbone out. And while Luka brings elite creation and clutch shot-making to pair with LeBron James, this version of the Lakers might be more vulnerable in a playoff series than before.
Dončić’s arrival creates serious halfcourt offense and gives LeBron a much-needed secondary (or even primary) initiator. But Davis’ departure gutted LA’s interior defense, rim protection, and versatility. The result is a Lakers team that’s now top-heavy on offense and even thinner defensively—and against a Timberwolves squad that thrives on balance, physicality, and defensive discipline, that’s a dangerous combination.
Minnesota enters this matchup with some advantages. The Wolves finished the season with a top-2 defense and the NBA’s No. 1 defensive rating post-All-Star break. They’re long, cohesive, and stingy—able to switch, close out, and contest without really giving away much in terms of rebounding or paint presence. Minnesota does have the tools to make things tough on LA’s stars.
Offensively, the Wolves are quietly efficient in the halfcourt. They can hunt favorable matchups – particularly when they get a shot at a very lean Lakers bench.
This series will test the Lakers’ star power against Minnesota’s depth and structure. But from a betting perspective, this isn’t just about LeBron and Luka—it’s about the pieces around them. And on defense, they could find themselves in trouble.
The betting public will always lean toward LeBron (and now the Lebron – Luca combo), which gives us some value on this T-Wolves team that comes into the series with a top defense, and an offense that has the ability to keep pace.
The Pick: Timberwolves to win series (+155)
