The camp for Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James reportedly took note of Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka prioritizing Luka Doncic’s request for a center.
“What is clear is that Doncic will have a say,” ESPN’s Dave McMenamin wrote. “And it wasn’t lost on James’ camp, sources said, that Pelinka prioritized Doncic’s involvement upon his arrival and immediately engaged in the [Mark] Williams trade that he’d asked for, when James had for years wanted the team to trade its picks to improve its roster.”
While the Lakers didn’t make a major trade in the 2023-24 season, they did flip one of their draft picks (their 2027 selection) in a deal in the 2022-23 season that sent Russell Westbrook out of Los Angeles and brought back D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt to the Lakers.
That move helped propel the Lakers to the Western Conference Finals, although they ended up coming up short in that series against the Denver Nuggets.
After acquiring Doncic ahead of this season’s trade deadline, the Lakers had reportedly struck a deal for Williams with the Charlotte Hornets to plug the hole left in the frontcourt by Anthony Davis’ departure.
However, the trade fell through after Williams was failed by Los Angeles during his physical exam. The Lakers had planned on moving two major assets – their 2031 first-round pick and rookie Dalton Knecht – to bring Williams in alongside James and Doncic.
Mark Williams' physical with the Lakers showed multiple issues and the team failed him on the exam, sources tell ESPN. The physical was not failed due to his back, however. https://t.co/lY4XrSIlHf
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 9, 2025
While it’s possible that James and his camp may have wanted the Lakers to make a move sooner to help maximize his career, the Lakers are in a great spot to compete for a title this season with Doncic in the fold.
Los Angeles is currently the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference with a 31-19 record, and it has won five games in a row.
James, 40, has still played at an elite level this season, and now he has a running mate in Doncic that led his former team (the Dallas Mavericks) to the NBA Finals as the No. 5 seed in the West last season.
Doncic has yet to make his Lakers debut, but he will be in action on Monday night against the Utah Jazz. That matchup is scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m. PST from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
