Life changed overnight for the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 1, 2025. In an instant, Anthony Davis was no longer a member of the organization and all of a sudden, Luka Doncic was the franchise's new centerpiece. It was a thoroughly unthinkable and unfathomable moment for anyone that knows anything about basketball.
Of course, outside of the players being dealt in the trade itself, no one's career was more personally impacted by this move than LeBron James. After being instrumental in bringing Davis to the Lakers back in 2019, James closed out the final chapter with his former teammate in Los Angeles and now welcomes a transcendent new talent to his locker room.
The big man that helped James win a championship in 2020 is now suiting up for the Dallas Mavericks, and one thing becomes abundantly clear: the Lakers are no longer LeBron's team. Davis had arguably already been better than James last season, when he earned second team All-NBA honors. But if there were any questions remaining in anyone's minds about who the best player in Purple and Gold is, they should all be put to rest now.
LeBron should remain in LA if he wants to win another championship
With Luka Doncic now the clear first option in Los Angeles, the vision for LeBron's conclusion to his NBA career is becoming clearer. Before the trade that sent Anthony Davis to Dallas, the Lakers' championship odds were looking slim both in the current season and in the years to come. It seemed a reasonable possibility that James could end up bolting for a contender to try to make one last-ditch effort to add another championship ring to his resume before he ultimately calls it quits.
But now, his odds of winning a title are arguably every bit as strong in the City of Angels as they are anywhere else. The biggest reason why the Mavericks had been such a scary playoff team over the course of the last half-decade was the postseason heroics of Doncic. Luka tends to become a different animal once the playoffs begin, and if he can replicate what he did in Dallas nine months ago with the Lakers, there is no telling how far this team can go.
In short, James' best tactic may be to simply sit back, watch Doncic do his thing and contribute where he can. Getting another co-star for Luka may not hurt as well, but LeBron would do well to remain in Los Angeles if he wants to add that fifth ring to his trophy case.