The Lakers may be LeBron’s team, but the new kid in town Luka Doncic seems to be getting everything he wants.
The Lakers pursuit of Hornets big man Mark Williams was at Luka’s request and since it didn’t eventuate, it “has left the team failing in its first attempt to satisfy Doncic — ever aware that he will become a free agent in 2026 and that L.A. wants to make his decision to sign a contract extension a foregone conclusion,” ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reports.
LeBron’s camp certainly took note of how quickly the Lakers attempted to appease Luka, while James’ requests have taken somewhat of a backseat for years.
“This enthusiasm and eagerness to make Doncic happy hasn’t always been seen in instances with James. …What is clear is that Doncic will have a say. And it wasn’t lost on James’ camp,” McMenamin said. “Pelinka prioritized Doncic’s involvement upon his arrival and immediately engaged in the Williams trade that he’d asked for, when James had for years wanted the team to trade its picks to improve its roster.”
Williams failed his physical and since the trade deadline was over, left the Lakers without a clear cut big moving forward.
The team will now need to rely on Jaxson Hayes for the meantime, who is stepping up into a major role.
A role “James had privately wondered whether the 24-year-old Hayes was experienced enough to occupy in a playoff run next to Davis before Davis was traded,” ESPN says.
Hayes will have Doncic’s support it seems and he was one of the first players Luka went out to dinner with when he arrived in Los Angeles.
When Hayes was playing for the Pels and Luka the Mavs, Dalls tried to trade for him multiple times and after the two played eachother Hayes would tell Doncic he would ‘love to play with him’.
The difference in LeBron and Luka’s opinion on Hayes “will be the first test of their partnership that could last months or go on for years, depending on how the rest of this season pans out,” McMenamin suggests.
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