Lakers Didn’t Give LeBron James Significant Notice They Were Trading Anthony Davis For Luka Doncic

The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t give LeBron James significant notice that they were trading Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Doncic, according to NBA insiders Brian Windhorst and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.

James and Davis are very close friends. They also have the same agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group. 

“They did not give him significant notice that they were trading Davis for Doncic — a transgression James forgave, sources said, because of his respect for Doncic and understanding of the franchise’s reasoning for making the trade and keeping it under wraps for as long as possible,” Windhorst and Shelburne wrote. 

The Mavericks missed the playoffs last season after making the NBA Finals in 2024. They won the 2025 draft lottery and drafted Cooper Flagg. Dallas now has a core of Flagg, Davis, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II.

Meanwhile, the Lakers were the third seed in the West last season. They faced the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs and were projected to win the series easily. 

However, the Timberwolves beat the Lakers in five games. 

Doncic can sign an extension with the Lakers starting on August 2. The five-time All-Star is the new franchise player in Los Angeles, replacing James. 

The leading scorer in NBA history, James picked up his 2025-26 player option with the Lakers worth $52.6 million after Los Angeles did not offer him a contract extension. 

Some people around the NBA believe James could request a trade from the Lakers this offseason. The front office, led by Rob Pelinka, lost Dorian Finney-Smith to the Houston Rockets and signed Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia this offseason. 

If James doesn’t request a trade from the Lakers or doesn’t agree to a buyout, next season will be his last campaign in Los Angeles. 

“Whether the 2025-26 season is to be James’ final season in the NBA is up to him. But if he wanted the kind of Hollywood ending that only the Lakers can give legends of the game, the release date was set. Spring, 2026,” Windhorst and Shelburne wrote.