The Los Angeles Lakers shocked the NBA world when they landed star Luka Doncic in a mega-deal with the Dallas Mavericks, and could be willing to make an even bigger trade in the coming months.
The Lakers had title hopes after pairing Doncic with star LeBron James, but fell flat in the playoffs as they suffered a first-round upset at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Though the Lakers have hopes of bringing their dynamic duo back for the 2025-26 season, one insider said the team wouldn’t be averse to trading James — if the price is right.
In a Q&A published on June 9, The Athletic’s Jovan Buha suggested that Doncic would be the only player the Lakers would give a hard “no” on trading.
“If the right deal is there, no one is untouchable other than Doncic,” Buha said.
That means James could hit the trade block if it meant helping build a title contender around Doncic.
Dean Simon of The Sporting News responded to Buha’s report, noting that it would be unlikely for the Lakers to deal James, but not impossible, as the Doncic trade demonstrated. Simon suggested it would take a massive trade proposal, involving at least one other established NBA star.
If the Denver Nuggets came calling about a potential Nikola Jokic swap, you’d better believe [Lakers general manager Rob] Pelinka likely wouldn’t think twice about shaking hands on the transaction,” Simon wrote. “If the Milwaukee Bucks were dead set on allowing Giannis Antetokounmpo to play under the bright lights of Los Angeles, little to no thought would go into the logistics of the trade.”
