The Trail Blazers would likely want to make room to have more minutes for Donovan Clingan, who they recently selected early in the 2024 NBA Draft. For the Lakers, meanwhile, Ayton could have at least some tangible valuable as a player who has postseason experience and tremendous size on the inside.

And so on -- a nonstop flurry of trades, rumors, and recalibrations and oh-my-God-really moments that made this NBA trade deadline the most interesting in league history. "That," one executive wrote to CBS Sports after the deadline finally slammed shut Thursday,

When Doncic played for the Dallas Mavericks, he thrived with a lob-threat center. The five-time All-Star led the Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals with the help of Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford, two players who caught lobs in an efficient offense.