
After the immediate shock subsided following the Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis blockbuster, there were rumblings that LeBron James could potentially request a trade from the Los Angeles Lakers given the seismic shift in balance on the roster.
The Lakers are not concerned about a LeBron James trade
However, the Lakers do not appear to be worried about James wanting out, and so far he has not requested a trade from Los Angeles. According to the Los Angeles Times’ Dan Woike, the team is confident that James will remain committed to the Lakers this season with the trade deadline a few days away.
“According to people familiar with the Lakers’ thinking not authorized to speak publicly, the team has little to no fear that James will want to leave via a trade this season,” Woike reported. “He can opt out of his contract that’s set to pay him more than $52 million next summer and become an unrestricted free agent, but that’s not an immediate concern for the Lakers.”

The Lakers are preparing for life post-LeBron
With the Lakers adding Doncic, the team is positioning itself for the transition of power when James decides to retire. The 40-year-old James is still one of the top players in the league with season averages of 24.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 9.1 assists, but he has started to show signs of wear and tear with injury problems over the past couple of seasons.
Therefore, Los Angeles needs to prepare for James to put his Hall of Fame career to an end at any moment, and they did so diligently by acquiring the 25-year-old Doncic. Doncic has made an All-NBA team in each of the last five seasons and is undoubtedly a perennial MVP candidate. He has missed some time this season due to a calf strain suffered on Christmas Day, which is part of what enticed the Dallas Mavericks to move on from him.
Regardless of what transpires in the summer, it seems as though the team is going all in on James’ last seasons in the league, and they feel confident that Doncic and James together can bring another championship to Los Angeles.