The Lakers were in a bind with LeBron James earlier in the summer as he wants to win now. However, they are more concerned with building with Luka Doncic, the recently traded All-Star made it known he wants to be in James' timeline as well.
Lakers Luka Doncic tells Duke alum JJ Redick he's committed to LeBron James' championship timeline originally appeared on The Sporting News
The Los Angeles Lakers made one of the most stunning trades of the season when they acquired Luka Dončić back in February. Despite limited assets, the Lakers appeared to fleece the Mavericks with how little they had to give up. However, the move has since created tension—particularly with LeBron James, who now recognizes the organization is no longer fully building around him.
“He's still that good. I don't think it's his last year, but the fact that the Lakers did not discuss a 1-in-1, or a 2-in-1, or contracts beyond this year with him. They just let him sit back... that tells you a lot. It's not in his control with LA,” ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne said.
Earlier in the season, James’ longtime friend and former teammate Carmelo Anthony praised his energy and demeanor on The 7PM in Brooklyn podcast—especially in the context of playing alongside Dončić.
“I’ve never seen [LeBron] as happy as he looks playing the game right now. They are a lockdown defensive team right now, with Luka [Dončić]… The roles [are] reversed now. [LeBron James is Anthony Davis] right now, & Luka is him,” Anthony said.
The key issue now appears to be the timeline. While the Lakers’ front office wants to build for the future, James remains focused on winning now.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship," James’ agent Rich Paul told ESPN. "He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”
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Surprisingly, it turns out Dončić is aligned with James on that short-term urgency. In fact, that shared mindset played a role in Dončić’s recent contract extension.
“Dončić being just 26 gives the Lakers a far longer timeline to build a championship-contending team, but that doesn't mean they can slow down and take their time. Dončić told Lakers president Rob Pelinka and coach JJ Redick in May that he's not interested in taking the slow approach in building a contender,” CBS Sports’ Jasmyn Wimbish wrote.
Dončić being vocal with both his coach and GM shows he’s fully on board with James' win-now mentality. With both players among the NBA’s elite, their partnership presents a matchup nightmare for opponents. Locking Dončić in for three more years was a massive win—especially if he’s all in on helping LeBron go out on top.
Category: General Sports
