It might have seemed like a no-brainer to trade for young superstar Luka Doncic mid-season, but the Lakers had plenty of things to consider before making the blockbuster deal. For one, there was LeBron James, who the Lakers thought might be less than pleased over trading his sidekick with no warning.
“I know in talking to lower-level people, in the just immediate aftermath of the trade and the situation, there was a sense of like, ‘There’s no way LeBron knew,’” Buha said. “And doing a trade of this magnitude and not giving him the heads-up — he’s been the guy since he entered the league.”
There was much speculation on whether or not LeBron James knew ahead of time but it seems like he was just as surprised as the rest of us. At 40 years old, LeBron wasn’t expecting to experience such a major shift this late in his career, and the Lakers were concerned that it would push him to pursue a new opportunity on a different team.
“I think there’s a sense of with LeBron, there’s — especially a big move like that, trading Anthony Davis, that there would be some sense of giving him a heads up. The fact that there wasn’t, and his impending contract situation and Klutch theoretically losing some power with A.D. getting traded that would potentially lead to him asking out or at least exploring that option. I know from talking to some people around the situation, that was an initial fear. But really within the first 24 hours, that got snuffed out and it was clear that LeBron was going to be staying.”
James and Davis had played together for the past six and a half seasons. They won the championship in 2020 and returned to the Western Conference Finals in 2023. They were considered by many to be one of the best duos in the NBA.
The Lakers have made it clear that they didn’t want to trade Anthony Davis, but Jeanie Buss and Rob Pelinka felt like they couldn’t pass up the opportunity. As a 26-year-old star in his prime, Doncic was arguably even better than Davis while also being six years younger.
Not only have the Lakers set up a prosperous future, but they have also increased their title odds this year as well. Doncic, who is averaging 27.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game this season, is already getting comfortable with his new team and delivering some high-quality games.
With Doncic and LeBron, the Lakers have been looking dangerous this season. At fourth in the West (42-25), they are a contender and one of the few teams in the league with enough talent to upset the Thunder or Nuggets in the playoffs.
With two years and $102 million left on his deal, LeBron was never stuck on the Lakers and he has the ultimate control over how he ends his career. So the fact that he’s doubled down on the Lakers and embraced his new partnership with Luka means he’s confident about the situation and likes his chances to make one last title run before his retirement.
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