What the Lakers trading for Luka Dončić means for LeBron James

Not even LeBron James saw this coming?

Amid news so startling that it shook the NBA world, leaving superstars around the league running to their social media to publicly question whether it was true, one of the most shocking takeaways was that it involved James but was done without his knowledge.

The Los Angeles Lakers are sending Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a first-round pick to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Luka Dončić, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris. The Utah Jazz are also involved in the three-team deal, acquiring Jalen Hood-Schifino and second-round draft picks from the Lakers (their 2025 pick from the Clippers) and the Mavericks.

James was apparently in the dark about this deal. In fact, according to ESPN, he was out at dinner with his family following the Lakers’ 128-112 win over the New York Knicks on Saturday when he first heard the news.

That in and of itself is stunning.

Since joining the Lakers in 2018, James has had his hand on seemingly everything within the organization. He recruited Davis, whom he has played with for six seasons and won a championship alongside in 2020. He played a big role in the Lakers breaking up their title-winning squad to acquire Russell Westbrook in 2021.

When that experiment failed, he made his discontentment crystal clear, publicly pushing Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka to make a move. Pelinka went on to deal Westbrook and acquire six new players ahead of the 2023 trade deadline en route to the team reaching the Western Conference Finals that season.

Even heading into this season, with James on the cusp of turning 40, he was still clearly in control. After Lakers coach Darvin Ham was fired following the Lakers being eliminated in the first round of the 2024 playoffs, the team hired JJ Redick, James’ podcast partner on “Mind the Game.” James even orchestrated the first father-son duo in NBA history, encouraging the Lakers to acquire Bronny James with the 55th pick in the 2024 draft.

So, to make a move this big without James speaks volumes.

The Mavericks reportedly reached out to the Lakers about the deal, fed up with Dončić’s deficits on the defensive end and his issues around being out of shape ahead of him being up for a supermax contract extension this summer.

It was too good for the Lakers to pass up.

How could the Lakers turn down Dončić, who sets up the 17-time champions for the post-LeBron James era with a young superstar who could be the next face of the team? The 25-year-old Dončić led the Mavericks to the Finals last season and has been a perennial contender for the MVP award.

As for the Mavericks, their thinking was clear. While parting ways with one of the top young players in the league is a head-scratching endeavor on the surface, Davis gives the Mavericks a defensive-minded superstar who knows what it takes to be a champion.

For the Lakers, this was an investment in their future. For the Mavericks, this was a win-now move.

But for James, it was something different.

He’s the face of the league. He’s the leading scorer in NBA history. He’s a four-time champion and four-time MVP. Depending on what corner of the barber shop you favor, he’s either the greatest player of all-time — or second, behind Michael Jordan. His power and reach is unparalleled, leading to him calling the shots wherever he has been for decades.

For the Lakers to make this move without him shows they were willing to upset him. They were willing to break with a longstanding rule in the NBA: James is king. With this move, they showed that they’re the ones in charge. Whether they should be chided for not showing the requisite respect or lauded for prioritizing their future is another question altogether.

Sure, the breakup between James and the Lakers is around the corner. James has recently pondered retirement, making it clear he’s not going to play “until the wheels fall off” and likely only has one or two seasons left. But the Lakers are the ones who took the first step to individuate themselves, breaking with their longstanding tradition of deferring to their biggest superstars.

The big question is whether acquiring Dončić midseason can make them real championship contenders, something they owe James amid his unprecedented level of play in his 22nd season.

It’s doubtful.

This is going to be a huge adjustment for a Lakers team that’s in fifth place in the Western Conference and has won eight of their last 10 games. It breaks up their continuity, to say the least. It also exacerbates their already glaring holes around the center, though they still have time to remedy that ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

This is a move for their future. They’re looking to Dončić to take over the baton. The franchise that is known for its impressive history of superstars has added its newest glitzy window dressing.

It’s interesting to think about what James would’ve said had he been consulted.

James and Davis were close. Over the years, they’d chat after games, discussing the NFL or what bottle of wine they planned on opening. They’d rib each other. They’d go over to each other’s homes for dinners. James taught Davis how to be a winner. He instilled in him the importance of having a short memory when Davis would get down on himself after subpar performances. Over the last few years, James made it clear the Lakers were Davis’ team.

But James has also emphasized that he’s not a part of the front office. During the Lakers’ coaching search, he made it known that he wanted them to prioritize the long-term health of the organization over appeasing him. For years, he has stated he wants to focus on basketball, not personnel decisions.

Still, the Lakers have been accused of being James’ puppets. And James’ fingerprints have been all over their decisions.

But apparently that’s no longer true.

So, yes, the move itself was shocking. (So much so that NBA superstars took to social media to vent, including Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid writing, “WOWWWWWW NO F WAY” and Indiana Pacers’ Tyrese Halibuton questioning whether the newsbreaker (ESPN’s Sham Charania) was compromised: “Shams got hacked?”

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But also equally shocking is that this decision was made without James’ consent.

For the Lakers, it’s a new era.

In more ways than one.

Melissa Rohlin is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the league for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the Bay Area News Group and the San Antonio Express-News. Follow her on Twitter @melissarohlin.

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