Luka Doncic threat to LeBron James? ‘Don't count him out', says NBA insider
Once he opted into his $52 million player option, speculation shifted to the possibility of a buyout or trade option sometime shortly, as reported by The Sports Rush. The biggest factor propelling this conversation, as per NBA insider David Dennis Jr, is Lakers' new rising star Luka Doncic.
LeBron to stay at Lakers? David Dennis has his doubts
When asked whether Stephen Curry and James had another championship run in them, Dennis Jr told ESPN, 'The last thing I'm gonna do is sit here and count Stephen Curry and LeBron James out. I'm not doing it. And with a parity in the league, who knows what'll happen in the next few years. With Steph, we know what the next few years are gonna be like. He's gonna be a Warrior. They're gonna figure this out. At the beginning of February, we felt like we knew what the end of his career was gonna look like. He was gonna play with the Lakers for a couple of years, try to get a championship, and that'll be it. Adding Luka Doncic has changed the trajectory of the Lakers, and it's changed the trajectory of LeBron James's career.'
'Adding him has changed the trajectory of the Lakers, and it's changed the trajectory of LeBron James' career,' Dennis Jr. opined. 'Now…I imagine he's gonna finish this year with the Lakers despite all the stuff that Rich Paul had said… but the year after that, I have no idea what LeBron's career looks like.'
He further added, 'I don't know if he'll be a Laker, I don't know if he'll end up at another team, with another contender. This is probably the most question marks we've had in his career since the beginning,' he continued. 'The guy plans out everything, now so much is up in the air.'
Is Luka Doncic a threat to LeBron James?
Before Doncic joined the Lakers this year, James had a clear-cut championship-winning vision set in his mind. The Slovenian addition, however, stirred things up for him. Given Doncic's performance on the court, it appears James has now taken a backseat. Although no one doubts the experience he brings to the table, the Lakers would prefer to spotlight a player with a longer probable run over someone who they know won't continue for more than a year or two.
For the first time in his career, James faces being No. 2 to another player. His best shot of winning a championship with the Lakers, as of now, is to form a solid pair with Doncic and rough it out for as long as possible.
Meanwhile, what the future holds for James's career continues to remain uncertain.
- By Stuti Gupta
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