"He knew about the trade" - Dwight Howard hilariously speculates LeBron James had insider info on Luka Doncic trade

Former NBA star Dwight Howard had fun discussing the recent blockbuster trade and jokingly claimed that LeBron James knew about the trade before it happened. Howard appeared as a guest on Paul George's podcast, Podcast P with Paul George on Monday.

Before the trade deadline, the Lakers surprised the NBA world by trading Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic. The trade shocked everyone and even top insiders like Shams Charania did not know about the trade until it happened. After the deal was finalized, James was asked if he had prior knowledge and he denied having any information about the trade before it went down.

“He knew about the trade,” Howard said jokingly on the podcast. “He (is) LeBron James. They call him ‘LeGM', 'LeCoach.’ He know(s) when Jesus come back and the Bible say(s) no man know(s).”

Since the deal happened, it has been the biggest topic of conversation around the league. Fans wondered if any of the big players on the Lakers or Mavs knew about the trade before it was finalized. However, it was later revealed by Rob Pelinka and Nico Harrison, the GMs of the two teams involved that they were the only ones who knew about the deal.

Did LeBron James have prior knowledge about the Doncic trade?

Earlier this month, ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported about the extent of LeBron James' knowledge and involvement in the trade. According to McMenamin, the Lakers star had no idea about the trade talks between the two GMs.

"LeBron James learned of the Davis-Doncic trade after the Knicks game when it broke while he was out to dinner with his family, sources close to James told ESPN," McMenamin wrote on X. James was surprised by the news, is processing it and had no idea it was in the works, sources said."

This report by McMenamin was later confirmed by James himself when he spoke to the media.

"I was out with my family at dinner and got the news. The first time I heard it, I thought it was for sure fake," LeBron James confirmed.

James shared that after he found out about the trade, Davis called him, and the duo spoke for a while as the news broke. James also mentioned how he couldn't believe the trade was real, even after he got off the phone with his former teammate.

Since the trade, the two teams have done their best to move on with their season and focus on what's ahead. Davis played one game for his new team before he suffered another injury setback (left adductor strain) during the game. For the Lakers, Doncic has suited up in four games, averaging 19.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists.