Dwyane Wade Thinks Luka Doncic Trade Was an Inside Job

The Lakers' blockbuster trade for Luka Doncic sent shockwaves through the NBA, but according to three-time champion Dwyane Wade, this wasn’t just about basketball—it was a business move orchestrated at the highest level.

Wade, who spent 16 seasons in the league and is widely regarded as one of the greatest shooting guards of all time, broke down his perspective on the deal during a recent episode of The Why podcast. Unlike most analysts who viewed the trade in terms of fit, talent exchange, or legacy impact, Wade saw something else: a decision made by the NBA’s billionaire owners to secure the future of the league’s most valuable franchise.

"First of all, I said to myself, before all the reports came out, I said, ‘Oh, no players were involved in this decision,’" Wade said via ClutchPoints’ Josue Pavon. "This was billionaire business. This was at the top. The last 12 to 15 years, the players have decided what we want to do. This was the owners, the governors, the billionaires deciding what they want to do.”

From Wade’s perspective, Doncic going to the Lakers was about more than just basketball—it was about ensuring the NBA’s most storied franchise had its next global superstar. He continued:

“This was an amazing business decision by billionaires to say, ‘This is what I want for now, and this is what we need as a league.’ You get 10 years of Luka being the face of the Lakers. But you also get to put him with LeBron James… the guy who’s been the face of the league, who can show him how to be the face of the league, and also who can show him how to take care of himself the way he needs to take care of himself.”

There’s no denying that the NBA benefits from Doncic donning the purple and gold. The Lakers are the league’s biggest brand, and now they’ve secured a 25-year-old superstar who could define the next decade of basketball. Add in the fact that he gets to play alongside LeBron James, the face of the NBA for two decades, and the storylines write themselves.

But Wade’s comments suggest something deeper—he’s implying that NBA owners may have quietly influenced this move behind the scenes. It’s a bold take, especially coming from Wade, who isn’t just a retired player—he’s a minority owner of the Utah Jazz. That means he, too, stands to benefit from Doncic landing in L.A. If the NBA’s biggest franchise is thriving, the entire league wins financially.