The ripple effect of Luka Doncic being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers is still being felt across the NBA. After trading Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks as a part of the deal to acquire Doncic, teams are reportedly calling to inquire about whether the other half of the championship-winning duo may be available.
Jake Fischer dropped his latest scoop about what the murmurings from behind closed NBA doors sound like. The good news for Lakers fans would be the fact that Fischer said, "[LeBron] James has shown no indication that he is willing to waive his no-trade during this season."
Another notable source saying James will not be traded is the man who broke the Doncic blockbuster, Shams Charania. On an episode of ESPN's NBA Today, Charania made it clear he did not believe the Lakers have any interest in moving the 40-year-old superstar.
"There's not going to be a move for LeBron James out of Los Angeles right now… The Lakers want LeBron James to be a mentor… Someone that can help Luka Doncic continue to develop."
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 3, 2025
— Shams Charania 🗣️
(via @ESPNNBA)pic.twitter.com/Ov9Rg7Qmi4
On the other hand, teams are making that call. Fischer wrote, "There are certainly teams — Golden State [Warriors] chief among them, sources said — that have inquired whether that stance could change between now and Thursday's trade deadline."
If the Lakers decided to pick up those phone calls and entertain the thought of what a deal for arguably the greatest player of all time would look like, it is important to establish which trade partners would be best for Los Angeles in that process.
Warriors finally assemble dream duo with James
Starting things off with the aforementioned team above, the Warriors should be close to the top of the list when it comes to potential James suitors. What would the most notable reason be? Undoubtedly, it would have to do with their desperation.
Stephen Curry is aging and in clear need of help on the offensive side of the court. The Warriors rank a disappointing 19th in terms of offensive rating. The lack of proper co-star beside Curry is abundantly clear.
The Warriors superstar is averaging only 22.1 points per game, his lowest output since the 2019-20 season when he only played 5 games due to injury. Curry is also posting the second-worst player efficiency rating of his entire career.
James would open up plenty of scoring opportunities for the greatest shooter of all time. Likewise, the Warriors would likely open up their asset pool to give the Lakers a considerable haul to get this done.
Rockets accelerate their timeline
The Houston Rockets are an intriguing team to consider in this mix as well. The Rockets have a nearly perfect combination of young players and draft assets to make any negotiations with the Lakers interesting.
If Rob Pelinka and management wanted to set up Doncic with players who can be around for the next decade, there is a good chance those guys can be found in Houston.
The question would be how much the Rockets are willing to give up. They have done well for themselves without James, holding one of the top seeds in the Western Conference. Would Rafael Stone and company be willing to surrender parts of their future to give his unit a guiding hand in James? Would adding LeBron into the mix give them enough pieces to push for a title this year?
There are several questions that need answering in this ordeal. However, whether the Rockets can make any potential package worth it for the Lakers is not one of them.
Spurs add the G.O.A.T. beside their future G.O.A.T.
The San Antonio Spurs just showed some aggression in adding De'Aaron Fox to the team. However, they still have enough remaining draft capital and young players to still be in pursuit of another big-time addition, should they have that desire.
Having James join Victor Wembanyama would certainly speed up the rebuild in San Antonio, offering a great mentor for the Spurs second-year sensation and an all but guaranteed chance to climb into the Play-In Tournament standings.
With the right type of maneuvers, the Spurs could keep building off this to potentially position themselves as a contender in the upcoming 2025-26 season. The Lakers could find themselves some quality young players to position around Doncic, as well as stockpile some strong picks in the process.