Los Angeles is building around Luka Doncic with the same blueprint Dallas used in 2024. The comparison shows both the similarities and the flaws.
On March 4, SI Lakers reporter Chris Mannix appeared on FDTV's Run It Back and laid out his vision for the Lakers around Luka Doncic.
"They just really want to make Dallas 2.0," Mannix said. "I think they feel they can succeed with a backcourt of Luka and Austin Reaves, even though there are defensive challenges there. They believe they can succeed with those two guys if they get the right type of players in that front court."
Los Angeles spent the first couple of days of free agency aggressively chasing that blueprint. The question is whether that blueprint still wins at the highest level.
Point guard: Luka Doncic vs. Luka Doncic
This position is identical, n o comparison is needed.
Shooting guard: Austin Reaves vs. Kyrie Irving
This is where the blueprint starts to show cracks. Reaves is a legitimate second option and one of the league's best complementary scorers. He averaged 21.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists last season.
Irving averaged 24.7 points, 5.0 assists and 4.8 rebounds on 49.7% shooting during the 2023-24 regular season. He then averaged the same 24.7 points per game throughout Dallas' run to the NBA Finals. Reaves is an excellent player, but he has not led a playoff run of that caliber as a second option. The difference matters.
Small forward: Open vs. Derrick Jones Jr.
The 2024 Mavericks had Derrick Jones Jr. defending the opposing team's top perimeter scorer every night. Mannix acknowledged the Lakers need players in the mold of Dorian Finney-Smith and PJ Washington to fill that role.
Los Angeles has not found that player. This is the biggest hole on the current roster.
Power forward: Sandro Mamukelashvili vs. PJ Washington
Mamukelashvili averaged 11.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists while shooting 38.9% from 3-point range for Toronto last season. Washington averaged 14.2 points and 7.0 rebounds.
Mamukelashvili provides more floor spacing. Washington brings more size and physicality. This is the closest positional comparison between the two teams.
Center: Walker Kessler vs. Dereck Lively II
Kessler became Luka's biggest offseason addition after Los Angeles acquired him from Utah in a sign-and-trade worth four years and $130 million. The Lakers also sent unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033 along with first-round swaps in 2028 and 2030.
Kessler missed most of last season with a shoulder injury. When healthy, he is one of the league's best rim protectors and lob finishers.
The 2024 Mavericks relied on both Lively and Daniel Gafford. Mannix specifically mentioned Gafford as another type of center who fits alongside Doncic. Los Angeles has Kessler, but it does not have Dallas' frontcourt depth.
The bench comparisons are closer when compared to the starting lineup.
Quentin Grimes mirrors Josh Green as a two-way wing who defends and shoots. Grimes averaged 13.4 points last season and signed a four-year, $60 million contract after returning to Los Angeles.
Jaden Hardy reunites with Doncic after arriving in the Deandre Ayton trade. He averaged a career-high 9.2 points while shooting 39.7% from 3-point range last season. He had a minimal role during the 2024 Finals run but had some big moments during the Western Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves
Jarred Vanderbilt fills the Maxi Kleber role as a defensive frontcourt player. Collin Sexton takes the Dante Exum spot as a scoring reserve after signing a two-year, $19 million contract following a season in which he averaged 15.4 points while shooting 40.1% from 3-point range.
The overall depth resembles Dallas' 2024 bench.
But the main issue with buikding Dallas 2.0 was that the 2024 Mavericks did not win the championship. Boston beat Dallas in five games and the series never shifted in the Mavericks' favor.
Trying to recreate that roster in 2026-27 sets a higher standard than many realize. Oklahoma City has won a championship the year after losing to Dallas in 2024. San Antonio reached the NBA Finals and every contender under them has improved so far this offseason.
Replicating Dallas' 2024 formula is one thing. Building a roster good enough to beat today's Western Conference is another.
