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It's been over a week now since the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks came together to make the most shocking trade in NBA history, agreeing to a deal that sent Luka Doncic to LA and Anthony Davis to Dallas. You'd think that by now this deal would've been covered from every conceivable angle, but the ripple effects of a trade of this magnitude will inevitably be felt for weeks, if not months or years to come.
One angle though that is still seemingly in further need of explanation is how the Lakers managed to pull this deal off without the involvement or the sign-off of LeBron James. The 22-year veteran has been so present in key front office decisions over the back half of his career that he's been given a ‘GM LeBron' moniker than even he has acknowledged. But when it came time to make what may go down as the most consequential trade in league history, Rob Pelinka left LeBron in the dark.
“By keeping his negotiations with Mavericks GM Nico Harrison closed, and parting with someone so close to James without his signoff, Pelinka's move could have easily caused James to want out, too,” ESPN's Dave McMenamin wrote on Monday. “Instead, James understood the business decision and accepted that it was a deal they had to make.”
Fortunately for Pelinka, if there were concerns that James would be bothered by the deal that sent Anthony Davis out of LA, there is plenty of proof that LeBron has a great deal of admiration for the game of Luka Doncic.
“Beyond their own belief in Doncic as a franchise cornerstone, Pelinka was aware of James' affinity for Doncic. James had praised Doncic publicly in his ‘Mind the Game' podcast co-hosted with (JJ) Redick last spring,” McMenamin writes. “The GM figured James would see the move as a basketball fit.”
It turns out, Pelinka's bet paid off. When asked about whether it would be a challenge it would be to mesh with Doncic, LeBron used the opportunity to express an optimistic outlook on the partnership and the rest of the Lakers' season.
“I don't really see a challenge,” he said. “Everybody get in the right spots. Hold each other accountable. Play basketball the right way. Share the ball. The ball is going to be in Luka's hands. It's going to be in [Austin Reaves'] hands. Two great decision-makers. It's going to be in my hands a little bit as well. Another great decision-maker. And then our guys are going to feast off of it. I mean, that's a beautiful thing.”
