LeBron James has played alongside Dwyane Wade, Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, but Luka Doncic is arguably his most talented teammate ever. The idea of James and Doncic playing together wasn’t even in the realm of possibility until the Mavericks did the unthinkable over the weekend.
While the Lakers fanbase is understandably elated about the trade, Charles Barkley believes the franchise erred by pairing James and Doncic. Speaking to NBA TV on Sunday, Barkley said he can’t see the two stars thriving together from an Xs and Os standpoint.
“This thing is not going to be smooth in L.A. with him and LeBron, because both of them want the ball 100 percent of the time,” Barkley said of Doncic’s fit. “Luka does not move without the ball. LeBron does not move without the ball. There’s going to be some serious growing pains when those two try to play together. Now, they’re both great players, don’t get me wrong, but LeBron wants the ball, and Luka definitely wants the ball. So, it’s going to be very interesting how that works out.”
On the flip side, Barkley believes Davis will “make a seamless transition” to the Mavericks since the ex-Laker will revert to his natural position of power forward next to Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford. The Hall of Famer added that the Lakers and Mavericks “will have to win a championship” to justify the blockbuster trade and claim success.
In the aftermath of the trade, there was chatter of James potentially asking out of Los Angeles, given his closeness to the departing Davis. However, insider Chris Haynes noted that James intends to remain a Laker past the Feb. 6 trade deadline. Haynes’ report came after it was revealed that James “had no idea” about the deal that materialized in the shadows and was taken aback by the news.
