NBA insider believes Luka Doncic is involved in Lakers trade tactics: “They have confidence in this plan”

Ramona Shelburn believes that LA Lakers star Luka Doncic has been involved in the team’s trade tactics since his arrival in February. Speaking on “ESPN LA” on Tuesday, Shelburn said:

“My sense is Luka is involved in everything they’re doing. And so, if he had a big problem with it, I don’t know that he would make his feelings known like LeBron does. But, I think he would make his feelings known, whether it would be public or private.” (Timestamp: 09:05)

“My sense is if they’re proceeding along this route, they have confidence in this plan.”

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Doncic is expected to sign a long-term extension with the Lakers in July, as per a report from Athletic’s Sam Amick on Saturday. Meanwhile, LeBron James could look to end his career with a different team if he feels the Lakers can’t compete for a title, Shams Charania reported on Monday.

James exercised his $52 million player option for next season and will become a free agent at the end of 2025-26 season. LA could be preparing for a future without James, and the obvious path forward is to build around Luka Doncic. So the Slovenian superstar could have a say in the team’s trade tactics.

NBA insider claims LeBron James and Austin Reaves do not like playing with Luka Doncic

NBA insider John Gambadoro has claimed that Lakers stars LeBron James and Austin Reaves don't like playing with Luka Doncic. The star guard arrived in February after a blockbuster trade sent Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks.

Since Doncic, James and Reaves have gelled well together, leading the Lakers to the third seed in the Western Conference. They couldn't do anything significant in the postseason, but LA's star trio has shown much promise.

However, John Gambadoro believes that LeBron James and Austin Reaves' recent actions suggest that they don't like playing with Luka Doncic.

"LeBron does not like playing with Luka," Gambadoro said on Monday's episode of the "Burns and Gambo Show. (10:40:55)" "Reaves does not like playing with Luka. Reaves does not like getting the ball with two seconds left on the shot clock. LeBron is not fond of playing with Luka. The Lakers are going to turn their attention to build around Luka, not LeBron.

Before Charania reported on James' uncertain future, Austin Reaves rejected a four-year, $90 million extension with the Lakers on Thursday.

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Sameer Khan

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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