Luka Doncic trade between Mavericks & Lakers had unintended LeBron James consequence

As widely criticized as the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade was from the Dallas Mavericks' perspective, with many arguing the organization could have gotten significantly more on the open market than they received from the Lakers, most would assume that LA's fans (and players) were more than happy with the deal.

After all, they managed to obtain a generational offensive talent who is just 25 years old, and injected new life into an aging roster that was clearly on the decline since their 2020 NBA Title. As good as Doncic was in Dallas, he received plenty of criticism from media and others in LA for his performances during the 2025 Playoffs – some deserved, some not quite.

Apr 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) reacts during the first half in game five of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

It appears, however, that there is another disgruntled party in the aftermath of the swap: Lakers superstar and future Hall-of-Famer LeBron James, who seems put off by the fact that the organization has prioritized Doncic as the new "face of the franchise," per ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst.

According to their article, James "understood the Lakers taking advantage of an opportunity to pivot to the younger superstar. But from James' perspective, sources said, nuance was sometimes lost during the transition. Doncic had never asked to be a Laker. James, for his part, had chosen LA, coming in 2018 when the team had missed the playoffs five consecutive seasons, the worst run for the franchise since it moved from Minneapolis. Two years later, James had helped deliver a 17th championship."

For a franchise that desperately needs to lock down Doncic for a max extension next summer, stories like this cannot be helpful for the front office. There is no doubt what James has done for the Lakers franchise, but press leaks like these are counterproductive if James truly has LA's best interest in mind.

James recently opted in to his $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season, which has already made it more difficult to build around him. Should he play any role in costing the Lakers a chance to re-sign Doncic in 2026, it will be a permanent stain not just on his Lakers legacy, but his overall perception in basketball history.

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