LeBron speaks out on the Lakers prioritizing the future instead of his championship window

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is seemingly fine with the Lakers prioritizing the future over his championship window, stating that he would have waived his no-trade clause if he had concerns.

The Lakers made a blockbuster move over the weekend, adding All-NBA guard Luka Doncic in a three-team deal with the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz. While the Lakers sent out a package headlined by star big man Anthony Davis in the trade, they received one of the game’s brightest stars that should set them up to win for years to come.

Los Angeles does have a hole in its frontcourt now, but it’s something that could be addressed by Thursday’s trade deadline.

While the Doncic trade sets the Lakers up well for the future, it also could be a move that helps them win now with James on the roster. After all, Doncic made the NBA Finals with the Mavericks in the 2023-24 season, and he’s reached the Western Conference Finals twice in the last three completed seasons.

James and Doncic should form a lethal duo once the star guard is healthy enough to play. Doncic missed the Lakers’ win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night due to a calf strain. He has not played since Christmas Day because of the injury.

This season, Doncic is averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game while shooting 46.4 percent from the field and 35.4 percent from 3.

While he and Davis have very different skills that make them elite, there’s no doubt that Doncic is one of the best players in the NBA. Losing Davis’ defense is tough, but the Lakers may be able to make up for that by playing at a high level on the offensive end with James, Doncic and Austin Reaves leading the way.

The Lakers’ next game will be on Thursday against the Golden State Warriors. Los Angeles has won three games in a row and seven of its last eight matchups.

The current No. 5 seed in the Western Conference, the Lakers are just two games back of the No. 3-seeded Houston Rockets and one game back of the No. 4-seeded Denver Nuggets.