Melissa Rohalin
Fox SPORTS NBA writer
Not even Liberon James saw this coming?
Amid the amazing news that it shook the American professional league world, leaving the stars about the league that runs on their social media to publicly ask whether this was true, one of the most thunderbolt meals was that James participated but was done without his knowledge.
Los Angeles Lakers Anthony Davis and Max Christie and choose the first round to Dallas Maverx in exchange for Luca Donach, Mix Cleber and Marciv Morris. Utah Jazz also participates in the three -team deal, where she got Galen Hood Shevno and choosing the second round of Lakers (their choice for the year 2025 from Clippers) and MAVERICKS.
James appeared to be in the dark about this deal. In fact, according to ESPN, he was at dinner with his family after Lakers won 128-112 over New York Nix on Saturday when he heard the news for the first time.
This is amazing.
Since joining Lakers in 2018, James apparently put his hand everything inside the organization. He recruited Davis, who played with six seasons and won a championship alongside 2020.
When this experiment failed, he was clearly heating it, pushing the general manager of Lakers publicly to take a step. Pelinka continued to deal with Westbroook and gain six new players before the 2023 commercial date on its way to the team that reached the Western Conference Finals in that season.
Even heading this season, with James on the threshold of reaching the age of forty, was still clearly controlling. After the Lakers coach was expelled after eliminating Lakers in the first round of the 2024 qualifiers, the team rented Ji Redk partner, James Podcast on “Mind the Game”. James even organized the first father and son in the history of the American Professional League, and encouraged Lakers to obtain Brunei James by choosing 55 in the draft of 2024.
Therefore, to make this step big without James speak folders.
According to Marax, Lakers communicated with the deal, and they struck Donnic’s deficit in the defensive end and its issues about being in a state in front of him to extend the supermx contract this summer.
It was very good to pass Lakers.
How can Lakers reject Dončić, who created a 17 -time champion for the post -Libon James era with a young star that could be the next face of the team? The 25 -year -old Dončić led The Martericks to the finals last season and was a MuvP prize competitor.
As for Marax, their thinking was clear. While there are ways with one of the best young players in the league, it is an endeavor to enter the head on the surface, Davis gives Marax a defensive star who thinks about the mind that requires what it takes to be a hero.
For Lakers, this was an investment in their future. For Marax, this was a profitable step.
But for James, it was a different thing.
It is the league face. He is a leading scorer in the history of the American Professional League. He is a four -time hero and MVP four times. Depending on any corner of the barber store you prefer, it is either the greatest player ever-or the second, behind Michael Jordan. Its strength and arrival are unparalleled, which led to the summons of the shots wherever it is for decades.
Lakes explained this step without him that they were ready to disturb him. They were ready to separate with a long -term base in the American Professional League: James is the king. With this step, they showed that they are the officials. Whether they should have evaporated for not showing the required respect or praise by giving priority to their future is another complete question.
Related to: Liberon James breaks silence on the trade of Anthony Davis
Certainly, the separation between James and Lakers is just around the corner. James recently thought about retirement, which made it clear that he would not play “until the wheels fall”, and it is likely that only two seasons or two seasons remain. But Lakers are the ones who took the first step to distinguish themselves, and separate their long traditions of postponing their largest stars.
The big question is whether to get Dončić Midseason can make them real competitors in the championship, which is indebted to James in his unprecedented level in its twenty -second season.
It is doubtful.
This will be a major amendment to the Lakers team, which is fifth in the Western Conference and won eight of the last 10 games. It breaks their continuity, at the very least. It also exacerbates their stark holes already throughout the center, although they still have time to treat this before the commercial date on February 6.
This is a step for their future. They are looking forward to Dončić to control BATON. The privilege, known for its impressive history of prominent stars, has added its latest removal in the windows.
It is interesting to think about what James said if he was consulted.
James and Davis were close. Over the years, they were speaking after the games, discussing the American Football Association or a wine bottle that planned to open. They lost each other. They went to each other’s homes for dinner. James Davis flag how the winner is. It has been installed in it the importance of a short memory when Davis descends on himself after Sobber offers. During the past few years, James explained that Lakers was the Davis team.
But James also confirmed that he is not part of the front office. During the Lakers training research, it made it known to want them to give priority to the organization’s long -term health for its consent. For years, he stated that he wanted to focus on basketball, not employee decisions.
However, Lakers was accused of James’s dolls. James’s fingerprints were all over their decisions.
But it seems that this is no longer true.
So, yes, the same step was horrific. (To the extent that the American Professional League stars moved to social media for venting, including Philadelphia 76ers written by Joel Empid, “WOWWWWWWW No FITOY” and Tyrest Halibuton from Indiana Besars wondering if the Newsbreaker (Espn’s Shams Charania) has been done Has it:?
Luka Dunthoni Davis Trade: The best social media reactions to Blockbuster in the American Professional League
But also horrific is that this decision has been made without James approval.
For Lakers, it is a new era.
In more than one way.
Melissa Roalin is a writer in the American Professional League at Fox Sports. The league has previously covered the photographer, Los Angeles Times, Gulf News Group and San Antonio Frankly. Follow it on Twitter @Melissarin.

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2025-02-02 08:07:00
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