Not too many things can catch LeBron James off guard, but the Los Angeles Lakers did that on Saturday night with their blockbuster trade, acquiring Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks for Anthony Davis.
James was coming off another epic performance at Madison Square Garden and was out to dinner with his family in New York after beating the Knicks when he found out about the franchise-altering trade. Reports indicate he was just as surprised as everyone else and had no idea it was coming.
Considering he was caught off guard with the team trading his co-star, there was speculation that James could be requesting a trade next before the Feb. 6 deadline. According to NBA insider Chris Haynes though, that will not be happening as LeBron intends to remain with the Lakers for the rest of the season:
“League sources informed me that LeBron James intends to remain a member of the Los Angeles Lakers past the February 6 trade deadline. So even though the Lakers have pulled off one of the biggest trades in recent history by acquiring Luka Doncic and moving AD to Dallas, LeBron James plans to stay with the Lakers.”
James can opt out and become a free agent this offseason, so it makes some sense to finish out the year in L.A. before deciding on his future. At 40 years old, LeBron only has a couple of years left and has said in the past that he wants to finish his career in the purple and gold. That was before the organization caught him off guard and traded his co-star, of course.
Even though it’s tough to lose a close friend in Davis, teaming up with Doncic definitely has to be intriguing to James. The Lakers still have work to do before the deadline to fill out the roster, but a team with James and Doncic can compete with anyone in a seven-game series.
LeBron James refutes reported he was frustrated with Anthony Davis
Shortly after news of the trade broke, a report came out that LeBron James had grown frustrated with Anthony Davis. James quickly took to social media to refute that, which make sense considering how close he and Davis have been during their time with the Lakers.
This trade had to have been tough for LeBron to process, but after sleeping on it, it appears he is set on remaining with the Lakers and teaming up with Luka Doncic.
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