LAKERS COULD TRADE FOR $90 MILLION FORMER LUKA DONCIC TEAMMATE LEBRON JAMES

 

The Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James have officially broken up after eight seasons.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, James informed Los Angeles that he will not return to the team in 2026 and will sign somewhere else. The free agency tampering period is set to open at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

"BREAKING: LeBron James will continue his NBA career for the 2026-27 season and has informed the Los Angeles Lakers that the franchise can move on without him because he will play elsewhere, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN," Charania wrote.

Losing James may seem like a big blow for the Lakers. However, the future Hall of Famer's departure from Los Angeles has been expected for months, and now the Lakers can move on and begin truly building the team around the face of the franchise, Luka Doncic.

Replacing LeBron will be no easy task, but if Los Angeles is serious about building around Doncic, President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka should explore a trade for one of Luka's former teammates.

Lakers could trade for P.J. Washington to replace LeBron James

Obviously, P.J. Washington isn't a better basketball player than James and would be a downgrade on the wing. However, what Washington brings to the table is solid three-point shooting, defensive versatility, and experience playing with Doncic.

Washington is under contract with the Dallas Mavericks for a few more seasons, but with Masai Ujiri taking over as President of Basketball Operations, he could look to retool the roster around Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving.

Trading Washington could emerge as a possibility, and the Lakers make sense as a landing spot. Washington had a ton of success playing with Doncic in their short time together in Dallas, especially during the Mavericks' run to the Finals in 2024.

Though Washington did struggle a bit from behind the arc this past season, the 27-year-old is usually a nice floor stretcher, and his ability to guard four positions on the court at any time makes him a valuable defensive chess piece.

Los Angeles could trade for Washington and immediately insert him into the starting lineup next to Doncic. If the team is also able to retain Rui Hachimura in free agency, a wing duo of Washington and Hachimura would provide the perfect blend of shooting and high-level perimeter defense.

Seeing James walk does hurt the Lakers, but the franchise now has the financial flexibility to construct this roster in a way that fits Doncic. Acquiring Washington in a deal with Dallas would be a nice first step towards replacing LeBron and appeasing Doncic, who is reportedly keeping his options open if the Lakers fail to deliver on their promises. 

- DHARYA SHARMA

NBA TODAY| NO LUKA NO PROBLEM 😄

 

FULL NBA TODAY | LUKA BREAKS KIBE BRYANT'S RECORD

 

LUKA DONCIC IS OF 🔥 WITH THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS

 

LUKA DONCIC MADE LOS ANGELES LAKERS HISTORY IN HEARTBREAKING LOS TO SUNS

On Thursday evening, the Los Angeles Lakers played the Phoenix Suns in Arizona.

The Lakers lost their second straight game by one possession, falling 113-110.

Despite the loss, Luka Doncic erupted for 41 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and two steals while shooting 12/21 from the field and 6/11 from three-point range in 39 minutes of playing time.

Luka Doncic Made Major Los Angeles Lakers History

Doncic also made major franchise history with his outstanding performance.

Via Ryan Ward of Lakers OnSI: “Per Lakers: Luka Dončić finished with 41 points tonight at Phoenix, marking his ninth 40-point game of the season. Dončić joins Elgin Baylor (four times), Kobe Bryant (four times), Shaquille O’Neal and Jerry West (three times) as the only players in franchise history with nine or more 40-point games in a season.”

Doncic’s First Full Season With Lakers

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 20: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after scoring during the second half of their game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena on February 20, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luiza Moraes/Getty Images)

Doncic is averaging an incredible 32.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.6 assists and 1.4 steals per contest while shooting 47.0% from the field and 35.7% from three-point range in 46 games.

He will have a chance to win his first ever MVP award.

John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Phoenix wrote: “What an incredible win by the Suns tonight. Huge 13-0 run to take control in the fourth and go up by 10 but Luka willed the Lakers back with some big time three pointers. After LA tied it at 110 on a Lebron follow, Royce O’Neale with the dagger three with 0.9 left to break the tie and the Suns win.”

Looking Ahead For The Lakers

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 20: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the first half of their game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena on February 20, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.  (Photo by Luiza Moraes/Getty Images)

With their loss to the Suns, the Lakers dropped to 34-24 in 58 games, which has them as the sixth seed in the Western Conference.

They are in the middle of a three-game losing streak (and 5-5 over their last ten games).

Following the Suns, the Lakers will play their next game on Saturday when they play the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center.

Skip Bayless ripped the team after the loss: “Well, Lakers ran a sneaky great play to free their clutchest shooter Austin Reaves for a long in-bounds crosscourt pass – and his shot hit the far side of the rim. LAKERS LOSE AT PHOENIX TO A TEAM WITHOUT BOOKER, BROOKS AND GOODWIN.”

On the other side, the Suns are now 34-26 in 60 games, which has them as the seventh seed in the Western Conference.

They have won four out of their last ten games.

Following the Lakers, the Suns will play their next game on Tuesday night when they visit the Sacramento Kings.

Doncic was the third pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.

He spent the first six and a half years of his career with the Dallas Mavericks.

- Ben Stinar

LUKA DONCIC'S FOUR WORD MESSAGE AFTER LAKERS GAME 4 LOSS TO TIMBERWOLVES

The Los Angeles Lakers fell to a brutal 116-113 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4 of their first-round playoff matchup. The Lakers squandered a double-digit fourth quarter lead, allowing the Wolves to steal a three-point win and take a 3-1 series advantage.

The 3-1 advantage makes it nearly impossible for teams to make a comeback and win a series, as the history of the league has shown. Over 95% of the teams to hold a 3-1 lead have advanced to the next round, but the Lakers have one of the architects of the greatest 3-1 comeback in NBA history.

With LeBron James leading the squad, many Lakers are confident they still have a shot. This includes their playoff stats leader so far, Luka Doncic, who made it clear that this series is just getting fun for him in a post-game media interview.

"It's a fun challenge."

Luka on being down 3-1: "It's a fun challenge"

— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) April 27, 2025

Doncic has been carrying his end of the workload, averaging 30.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists through the four games of the series. LeBron has done his bit as well, averaging 26.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists.

The issue has been the Lakers' roster production has simply not lived up to expectations. Even average performances from the supporting cast could go a long way in making the Lakers one of the best candidates to complete a 3-1 series comeback since the 2020 Denver Nuggets.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and guard Luka Doncic react after a play. Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

Despite contentious referee moments throughout the series and in Game 4 as well, this has been one of the most well-received battles of the first round.

Outside of LeBron's experience making such a comeback against tougher opponents, it's clear players like Doncic are also up for the challenge.

The Wolves will have a massive advantage with their lead, but the Lakers need to break this series down into winning their remaining home games and stealing one win at the Target Center in Minnesota.

After all, Luka ended the Wolves' season last year by handing them their elimination blow in front of the home crowd.

- Ishaan Bhattacharya

INSIDE THE NBA REACT TO NICO HARRISON'S COMMENTS ON LUKA DONCIC

 

NBA COMMISSIONER ADAM SILVER ON THE LUKA AND ANTHONY DAVIS TRADE

 

TOP-SELLING NBA JERSEYS

 

MAVS GM HAS 'NO REGRETS' ABOUT LUKA DONCIC TRADE: 'DEFENCE WINS CHAMPIONS'

Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison has mostly been unavailable to the media since trading superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, but on Tuesday, he opened himself up to some questions — at least, to a select group of Dallas media, in a conference where there were no cameras present.

In that conference, Harrison reiterated that he has "no regrets" about trading Doncic, and that "defense wins championships," per ESPN.

Harrison used past unpopular trades that worked out as a defense of his moving Doncic for Anthony Davis, a deal which not only caused Mavericks fans to grow angry at the team in a way that the Kyrie Irving and Daniel Gafford trades did not, but is so much obviously worse given Doncic was a star who helped lead the Mavericks to the NBA Finals in 2024.

Defense wins championships, but not on its own: ask the team that defeated the Mavericks in the Finals a year ago about that, considering their league-high offensive rating of 123.2 in 2023-2024. Defense was vital to that team, as well, but it was paired with a dynamic offense — the kind of dynamic offense that Doncic is capable of generating, especially when paired alongside a player like Irving.

The two are now split up, however, with Doncic scoring 28.2 points per game for the Lakers over 28 games, shooting 38% on 3s and contributing over eight rebounds and 7.5 assists per game to that mix. The Mavs have gone 13-20 after trading Doncic while they were still 26-23 — that initial record was disappointing, yes, but not a lost cause even in the competitive Western Conference, given the duo of Doncic and Irving.

After dealing Doncic, though, Irving then suffered a torn ACL and the end of his own season, and Davis — who played 36, 40, 56, and 76 games over the previous four seasons — has appeared in all of nine games for the Mavs due to his own injuries since the trade. In Harrison's defense, losing Doncic wasn't the only problem, but considering that Davis was the centerpiece of the return, it's not like the GM is fully absolved or dealing with some bad luck here, either. 

The Lakers have gone 22-13 in the same stretch, minus one Davis and plus one Doncic, which allowed them to finish with 50 wins and a third-place finish in the West. The Mavericks get a chance to stick around through the play-in tournament, since their skid dropped them to 10th in the West, but it will be very difficult for them to do something with their unfortunate seeding this season if they are to make it out of that tournament, unlike a year ago when they were fifth but with their own 50-win season, and pushed through to the Finals, anyway … which the presence of an explosive player like Doncic on the roster allowed them to do.

Harrison explained that the lack of regrets is due to how unpopular moves come with the territory. "That's my job and I have to stand by it." It's understandable, given that the Mavs might very well make it into the playoffs and the season is ongoing for them, that Harrison would refuse to express regret just yet. However, Mavericks fans are likely hoping that this is all that this attitude is, and not Harrison truly believing that, in the end, shipping Doncic off was no more than an unpopular trade.

 - FOX Sports

STEPHEN A. SMITH BREAKS SILENCE ON LEBRON JAMES

The new superstar duo of LeBron James and Luka Doncic guided the Los Angeles Lakers to their 8th-straight win, defeating Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks.

Stephen A. Smith was at Crypto.com Arena for Thursday night's game, and at one point, LeBron came up to him and confronted him about something. The video went viral online with millions of views.

On Friday morning, Smith made his first post after the conversation with the four-time NBA champion, revealing he would discuss the events on Friday's edition of "First Take." It turns out that LeBron confronted him about some comments Smith had made about Bronny James, LeBron's son.

"That was LeBron James coming up to me unexpectedly, I might add, to confront me about making sure I mind what I say about his son," Smith said. "That wasn't a basketball player confronting me. That was a parent. That was a father, and I can't sit here and be angry or feel slighted by LeBron James in any way in that regard... Based on some of the comments he had heard, or shall I say, think he thought he heard, clearly took exception to some of the things he heard me say, and he confronted me about it."

Stephen A. Smith lo confirma.pic.twitter.com/rPhg3jDl7Mhttps://t.co/EW04sv5R5H

— The Night MVP (@TheNightMVP) March 7, 2025

It is unclear what specific comments LeBron confronted Smith about. However, the popular theory is that it came during January when Smith discussed Bronny's nepotism.

"I'm really, really trying to be as respectful as I possibly can be toward LeBron James, one of the top two or three players in the history of basketball," Smith commented on Jan. 29. "I am pleading with LeBron James, as a father. Stop this. Stop this. We all know that Bronny James is in the NBA because of his dad... We know that [Bronny James is] not ready yet, and I'm saying this with compassion."

Stephen A. Smith. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Bronny and LeBron became the first father-son duo to ever touch an NBA court together. The plan for the rookie was likely always to have him play numerous games in the G League with the South Bay Lakers. However, Bronny would not travel with South Bay for road games, only playing at home. But that has since changed.

Still, Bronny has started to gain some confidence in the G League as of late, scoring over 20 points in four of the last five games. He even recorded an NBA career high of nine points on Feb. 12 against the Utah Jazz.

- Chris Phelps Athlon Sports

MOST POINTS SCORED SO FAR IN THE 2020'S

 

MAVS HAD ISSUE WITH LAZY' LUKA DONCIC"S DRINKING AND SMOKING HABITS, PREDICT HE'S HEADING TO 'CATASTROPHE" IN NEXT 5 YEARS

GARY A. VASQUEZ-IMAGN IMAGES

The reasons that the Dallas Mavericks decided to trade All-Star forward Luka Doncic are beginning to come to light, with reports indicating his condition and social habits played a factor in the Mavs’ decision to trade him to the Los Angeles Lakers.

While questions about Luka Doncic’s weight and conditioning have been persistent since he entered the NBA in 2018, the Mavericks have reportedly become so concerned over his dietary and health habits that they predict he’s heading towards “catastrophe” in the next five years.

The reasons that the Dallas Mavericks decided to trade All-Star forward Luka Doncic are beginning to come to light, with reports indicating his condition and social habits played a factor in the Mavs’ decision to trade him to the Los Angeles Lakers.

While questions about Luka Doncic’s weight and conditioning have been persistent since he entered the NBA in 2018, the Mavericks have reportedly become so concerned over his dietary and health habits that they predict he’s heading towards “catastrophe” in the next five years.

“The people who witnessed Dončić’s last days in Dallas do not paint a flattering portrait of the 25-year-old’s professionalism. They call him lazy. They talk about the weight issues that were such a frequent frustration within their walls,” The Athletic reported the morning after Doncic took on the Mavs as a member of the Lakers for the first time.

“They mention the social habits — such as a taste for beer and hookah — which have been a point of concern for NBA types since he was a 19-year-old star for Real Madrid who was entering the NBA Draft. They predict his basketball demise, highlighting a health history that, as some see it, will likely lead to catastrophe in the next five years or so.”

Doncic certainly had a point to prove on Tuesday night, as he was doing push-ups on the floor in the pregame warm-ups. In the Lakers’ 107-99 win over the Dallas Mavericks, Doncic put up a triple-double as he posted 19 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists and leered over to the Mavericks’ bench a handful of times.

In his first five games with the Los Angeles Lakers (they are 7-2 since the trade happened as of February 26), Doncic has averaged 19.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game. The Lakers are currently thr #4 seed in the Western Conference have the sixth best betting odds to win the NBA title behind the Celtics, Thunder, Cavalivers, Nuggets, and Knicks.

- ERIC ITALIANO

MAVS LEGEND ATTENDED LUKA DONCIC DEBUT

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The Dallas Mavericks just lost their franchise player.

Luka Doncic made his debut with the Los Angeles Lakers, starting a new era in Purple & Gold basketball.

Notably, they did so while another Mavericks great was in attendance.

As Jovan Buha on X (via NBA Central) showed, Dirk Nowitzki went to Crypto.com Arena to watch his former teammate’s debut with his new team.

This speaks volumes about several things.

On the one hand, it shows just how close Nowitzki grew to be with the Slovenian star, and it was a nice gesture to watch him showing up in person to be present at such a big event.

On the other hand, Nowitzki has clearly taken a side in this situation.

GM Nico Harrison’s decision to trade Doncic was reportedly motivated by concerns about his work ethic and conditioning.

By going to Los Angeles and attending another franchise’s game, Nowitzki’s actions are speaking volumes.

He clearly disagreed with the Mavs’ decision to let go of their 25-year-old star, which shocked the NBA world to its core.

The trade was so bad on paper that even Mavs fans are complaining about getting a future first-ballot Hall of Famer like Anthony Davis.

Luka is so good and has such a bright future ahead of him that he’s making a trade for a player of Davis’ caliber look like a steal.

Nico Harrison will have a tough time changing the narrative, and once you infuriate a guy like Nowitzki, you know you messed up.

- Ernesto Cova

LUKA DONCIC MAKES HIS LAKERS DEBUT

 

FULL REACTION TO NBA TRADE DEADLINE | LUKA TO LAKERS & MORE

LUKA DONCIC FULL INTRODUCTORY PRESS CONFERENCE | LOS ANGELES LAKERS

LUKA DONCIC ISSUES STATEMENT AFTER BLOCKBUSTER TRADE FOR ANTHONY DAVIS BETWEEN MAVERICKS AND LAKERS

"I thought I'd spend my career here and I wanted so badly to bring you a championship."

Luka Doncic & Anthony Davis Ron Jenkins/Getty Images

There have been major trades in NBA history, but none feel as massive as this past weekend’s, when the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis. The Slovenian hooper has now shared his first public statement following the landscape-shifting exchange.

“Dear Dallas,” he wrote on X and Instagram on Sunday (Feb. 2). “Seven years ago, I came here as a teenager to pursue my dream of playing basketball at the highest level. I thought I’d spend my career here and I wanted so badly to bring you a championship.” The five-time All-Star got close last year when he led the Mavericks to an NBA Finals matchup with the Boston Celtics, which they lost in five games. In 2022, he led them to a Western Conference Finals matchup against the eventual championship winners, the Golden State Warriors.

“The love and support you all have given me is more than I could have ever dreamed of,” he continued. “For a young kid from Slovenia coming to the U.S. for the first time, you made North Texas feel like home. In good times and bad, from injuries to NBA Finals, your support never changed. Thank you for not only sharing my joy in our best moments, but also for lifting me up when I needed it the most.” He also thanked the organizations he worked with in his seven years in the Dallas community, and called it his home away from home. Check out the full statement below.

The full trade details included Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris going to the Los Angeles Lakers; Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round draft pick going to the Dallas Mavericks; and Jalen Hood-Schifino, a 2025 second-round draft pick, and an additional 2025 second-round draft pick, from the Clippers going to the Utah Jazz. It is important to note that neither Luka Doncic nor Anthony Davis were being “shopped around” by their respective former teams, but rather private conversations between both organizations brought this to life.

The Mavericks general manager, Nico Harrison, stated that Dallas was in a “win-now” mindset and, despite Luka leading them to playoff success, Harrison believed Davis could get them over the hump when paired with star guard Kyrie Irving. There were also reports that the Mavericks brass wasn’t happy with Doncic’s ineffectiveness on defense and his lack of conditioning. Had he stayed in Dallas, he likely would not have been offered the 5-year, $345 million supermax contract he was eligible for. Now that he has switched teams, the most he can receive from the Lakers or any future team is in the $240 million range.

As for Anthony Davis, the Lakers management did not want to offer him an extension due to his age (31) and his battles with health over the years. Davis was an integral part of the Lakers winning a championship in 2020 and returning to the conference finals in 2023, but they have had early playoff exits or completely missed the postseason in the years between, largely due to Davis not being at 100%. Doncic not only presents a change of pace and unique threat alongside LeBron James, but he is a stronger successor to LBJ as the face of their franchise upon James’ retirement.

- ARMON SADLER

NBA CHAMPION COACH MAKES 'AI-GENERATED' ADMISSION ABOUT LUKA DONCIC TRADE

The recent blockbuster trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers and Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks has sent shockwaves through the NBA, leaving fans and analysts alike reeling from its implications.

This monumental deal marks one of the most significant trades in league history, as two franchises believed they could enhance their rosters by swapping superstars.

The Lakers, aiming to secure their future beyond LeBron James, have acquired Doncic, a 25-year-old perennial MVP candidate who led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals just last season. Meanwhile, the Mavericks hope that Davis will bring a new dimension to their team as they look to retool for success.

In the wake of this surprising trade, NBA champion coach and former Coach of the Year Doc Rivers, now head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, expressed his astonishment.

"I thought it was AI-generated," he said in a postgame press conference, as shared by 97.3 The Game. "And then I found out it was real. It's a shocking trade. I don't think I've seen a trade like this in my ever."

Bucks HC Doc Rivers' reaction to the Luka Doncic trade

"I thought it was AI generated" pic.twitter.com/HahQK3oexw

— 97.3 The Game (@TheGameMKE) February 2, 2025

His comments highlight the unprecedented nature of this deal, which has left many questioning the motivations behind it. Rivers emphasized that both teams believed they could improve through this swap.

"Two teams thought they could make their teams better-that's what I always say," he added. "Usually one will be right."

As the dust settles on this historic transaction, the ramifications for both teams remain to be seen. The Lakers are betting on Doncic's ability to shine alongside James while ensuring they remain competitive in a league where star power reigns supreme.

Conversely, Dallas is banking on Davis' defensive prowess and experience to lead them into a new era. This trade not only reshapes the rosters but also sets the stage for an exciting second half of the season as both teams adjust to their new realities.

Copyright 2025 Athlon Sports. All rights reserved.

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MICHAEL COOPER ON LUKA DONCIC