Lakers Rumors: LeBron James' Camp Noticed Pelinka Prioritized Luka's Input In Trades

Lakers Rumors: LeBron James' Camp Noticed Pelinka Prioritized Luka's Input In Trades

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The Los Angeles Lakers and general manager Rob Pelinka consulted with Luka Dončić before pulling off the since-rescinded trade for center Mark Williams, temporarily granting their new superstar the lob threat he wanted.

And LeBron James noticed.

As ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported: "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."

The Lakers also held the initial talks to acquire Dončić and trade Anthony Davis extremely close to the vest, not consulting with James, though he reportedly understood the rare opportunity the team was presented.

Per ESPN's report: "By keeping his negotiations with Mavericks general manager 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. Instead, James understood the business decision and accepted that it was a deal they had to make, sources close to the veteran said."

There will be questions about the short-term fit between LeBron and Luka. Both are fairly ball-dominant players who like to facilitate the offense and need to be surrounded by shooters to be most effective.

Dončić also likes to have a rim-running center, one who can finish lobs in the pick-and-roll. Both players will need to be comfortable playing off the ball a bit more than in the past and establish a rhythm together.

For the Lakers, though, this was more about having the 25-year-old Dončić for the long term. Any questions about how the team might pivot once the 40-year-old James retires have now been answered (though the Lakers still need to make sure Dončić is happy and willing to ultimately sign an extension with the team).

And the Lakers tried to ease the short-term transition by addressing another need at center.

As McMenamin wrote, "Though parting with Knecht and a first-rounder was considered a steep price compared with other deadline deals around the league, Pelinka made the trade, sources said, to establish goodwill with Dončić and improve the current roster. It was, team sources said, an 'all in' deadline. Even if the Williams trade fell apart, 'it wasn't for lack of trying,' one source said. There was also some internal calculus on the real value of that 2031 pick, sources said. Plus, Williams' fit was a necessity, one Lakers source said; Knecht's was a luxury."

Ultimately, that didn't work out. But the Lakers showed Dončić that they would make the sort of move he wanted. He's the man of the future. As for the present, Dončić and James will have to sort that out as they go.

 

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