Before the 2024-25 trade deadline ended, the Lakers made a deal with Charlotte. The team had just traded for Luka Doncic. They wanted to add a lob-threat center to pair with the All-NBA PG.
Los Angeles traded Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2030, pick swap, and a 2031 first-round pick to the Hornets. All of that was in exchange for big man Mark Williams. However, Williams failed his physical with the Lakers and the trade did not go through. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that LeBron James’ camp noticed how quickly the team traded picks to appease Doncic.
Does Luka Doncic have more control than LeBron James on the Lakers?
LeBron’s camp took notice of how quickly the Lakers traded picks to appease Luka Doncic, while LeBron had wanted the same for years, per @mcten
“What is clear is that Doncic will have a say. And it wasn’t lost on James’ camp, sources said, that Pelinka prioritized Doncic’s… pic.twitter.com/a4VD9wGy69
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 10, 2025
According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, LeBron James had been asking for years for the Lakers to trade some of their picks. LeBron has been with the Lakers for seven seasons. The trade for Luka Doncic happened unexpectedly and nobody saw it coming. James had been asking the front office to use their draft capital in a trade. However, the team did not budge. As soon as they acquired Doncic, they made a deal to please him.
No matter how much LeBron James has done for the Lakers, it’s still a business. At 40, James only has a few more seasons left in him. Luka Doncic is only 25 years old and he is the future in Los Angeles. Team President Rob Pelinka made the trade with Charlotte to improve the roster for Doncic. Despite the deal falling through, it was apparent the front office values Doncic’s opinion.
LeBron James’ camp noticed how quick the Lakers were to appease Luka. The All-NBA PG hasn’t even made his Lakers debut yet. He’s set to do that on Monday night vs. the Utah Jazz. With the trade for Mark Williams falling through, the Lakers are left with an assortment of centers. That includes Jaxson Hayes, Trey Jemison III, Christian Koloko, and Jared Vanderbilt. Los Angeles will make it work with the lineup they have for the rest of the 2024-25 season.
