If we omit LeBron James from the Los Angeles Lakers roster, it would be hard to believe in the team for another championship contention. The man has been there for as long as the team needed him. And now that he is in the final paragraph of his storied NBA tale, things have started to fade away.
We are not saying this, it has been widely believed that LeBron has his say on everything that moves at the LA camp. And the rumors went as far as to claim that it was the Akron-born superstar who moved the pieces to send off Anthony Davis. However, something uncommon happened lately and some of the analysts took notes.
Bron has long been open about moving the draft picks and adding players who aid the team’s current needs. And it was all common sense if they had to keep on winning and adding rings to their shelf. But Rob Pelinka did not seem to take any great interest in the suggestion. But now that Doncic had to come to the Lakers, Pelinka is prioritizing him.
“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 involvement upon his arrival and immediately engaged in the Williams trade that he’d asked for, when James had for years wanted the team to trade its picks to improve its roster,” Dave McMenamin of ESPN wrote.
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
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 10, 2025
"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
McMenamin continued with his say on LeBron James’ camp taking notice of the management making the optimum moves to appease Doncic. And if the speculations hold any real depth, the franchise is not heading in a good direction.
Luka Doncic’s Arrival Takes Away Another Privilege From LeBron James
The rumor market has already been on a buzz ever since Luka Doncic landed in LA. The Lakers have ushered in a new era with the arrival of the former Mavericks. And things seem to take a turn with his arrival at the camp.
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Many believed that he would be the central figure in the team’s future in no time, and even the smallest of things started adding clues. The Lakers’ announcer introduced Doncic last during his debut game against the Utah Jazz, an honor previously reserved for LeBron James since his arrival in 2018.
lebron was always last in announcements, he appears to have handed that honor over to his successor:
— claire de lune (@ClaireMPLS) February 11, 2025
luka doncic’s first intro as a laker pic.twitter.com/bWiv7STkej
Though this may not be the greatest and the biggest thing to ever happen, but still something new for the LeBron fans. During his first outing as a Laker, Doncic had a great start and recorded 11 points, three rebounds, and three assists in just 15 minutes. His action also included an impressive full-court pass to LeBron that delighted fans and went viral on social media.
With the team maintaining a comfortable 72-47 lead at halftime, it was clear that Doncic’s addition had a positive impact on the overall performance. As the Lakers continue to build around this formidable duo, the partnership between Doncic and James could redefine the fabric of Lakers basketball.
