How Does The Luka Doncic Trade Impact Lebron James

The NBA world was sent into a frenzy late last Saturday night as the Lakers and Mavericks exchanged two of their star players.

About an hour after a huge win over the Knicks without Anthony Davis, news broke that the Lakers were trading him, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick to the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris.

As part of the deal, the Jazz also received Jalen Hood-Schifino and two second-round picks.

Before the trade, many people were expecting this year’s NBA trade deadline to be rather dry, and no one expected a star as big as Doncic or Davis to even be available.

However, the Mavericks, growing concerned over Doncic’s weight, conditioning and injury history, were having second thoughts about offering him the $345 million supermax extension in the offseason.

As a result, they moved in silence, approaching only the Lakers about trading him and targeting Davis in return.

While the trade itself is shocking, what’s even more shocking is that no one knew about it, not even LeBron James. Over the course of his time with the Lakers, LeBron has been involved in just about every roster decision.

James was the reason the Lakers ever pursued Davis in the first place. With no other star player on the roster, LeBron knew he needed help to pursue his fourth championship, and when Davis finally requested out of New Orleans, he made a huge push for the Lakers front office to trade for him.

However, LeBron was out to dinner with his family after Saturday’s matchup against the Knicks when he heard about the trade on his phone. At first, he thought it was a hoax, until Davis facetimed him to talk about the trade.

So, what does this mean for James and the Lakers?

First, it shows that LeBron’s wishes may not be the focus of the Lakers front office anymore. While they landed one of the league’s top five players, this certainly was a trade for the future.

Los Angeles already needed another big or two to compete this year with Davis, and their defense was also a concern. Trading their biggest player and best defender certainly doesn’t improve either of those concerns, and neither does bringing in Doncic, who doesn’t have much size or play much defense.

While the Lakers can certainly compete for a championship with LeBron and Luka if they make another trade or two, they certainly had a better chance keeping Davis and adding more size and defense.

With that said, this trade is all about the Lakers post-LeBron. In adding Doncic, the Lakers have the next face of their franchise for the next ten years after James retires.

What does this mean for LeBron’s outlook for the rest of the season and beyond?

James has expressed interest in playing with Luka, and he has no plans of waiving his no-trade clause and requesting out of LA, but a lot of people question whether this is the right move.

Many are concerned how LeBron and Luka can fit together, as both like playing with the ball in their hands and orchestrating the defense, but this shouldn’t be an issue.

LeBron has worked well with other ball-dominant players before, including winning a championship with Kyrie Irving in Cleveland and playing with Russell Westbrook in LA.

Also, James may feel a sense of relief that he now has another star who can help lead the offense. He’s 40 years old, and he can’t do it all by himself on a consistent basis. Adding Doncic gives LeBron a break and allows him to be fresher in the fourth quarter and in the playoffs should they hold onto their spot.

All in all, this trade seems like a win for both LeBron and the Lakers.

Jonathan Hartley is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jdh6293@psu.edu.