The Los Angeles Lakers seem to be making decisions that affect Luka Doncic more than LeBron James in recent months. They see him as the future, while James is almost out the door.
James only has a couple of years left in the NBA now that he is 40. It doesn’t make sense to include him in decisions that won’t affect him five years from now.
Still, James believes that he has earned the right to be informed of certain things, including the sale of the franchise. He was reportedly not given a heads-up, but Doncic was.Apparently, Jeanie Buss let Doncic know that she was going to sell, but she failed to let James know. That’s according to an article from ESPN.
It’s just one example of this team being transitioned into Doncic’s team from James. It’s a transition that was bound to happen, but it is clearly happening much faster than James would like to.
The Lakers are still good enough to compete for a championship with James on the roster. They just have to make sure that they play better on the defensive end of the court.
James has not made it a secret that he wants to win a championship as soon as possible with the time that he has left in the league. He has put pressure on the Lakers to make that happen.This could be a sign that the Lakers are finished listening to the many demands that James has given them over the years. They are now giving Doncic the power to make those kinds of decisions.
Los Angeles will likely make roster decisions that are more directed to what the team will look like with Doncic leading the team as opposed to what James wants.
The new owner seems to want to build around Doncic sooner rather than later. It is likely the right decision with how the league is set up right now, especially in the Western Conference.
Last season, Doncic averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game. James averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game.
