ESPN's Shams Charania shed light on what the LA Lakers have planned for the organization's future now that they have paired LeBron James and Luka Doncic. Over the weekend, the Lakers shocked the sports world by trading away Anthony Davis in exchange for Doncic. This came after the Dallas Mavericks offered the five-time All-Star.
Now that the Lakers have a 25-year-old star who's a top talent in the NBA, they will want to capitalize on this. Charania said Doncic could be the organization's new face for the next decade.
"In Anthony Davis, the Mavericks are getting that's a win-now piece, 40-20 in his last game with the Lakers," Charania said. "But make no mistake, Luka, for the next 10 years is going to be the face of that Lakers organization.
The Los Angeles team may have been concerned about having a player who could take over the franchise before James retires. However, NBA insider Charania confirmed that the franchise has no plans to move their star forward anytime soon. He reported that the Lakers plan to have the four-time champion serve as Doncic's mentor.
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"The Lakers want LeBron to be a mentor of sort. Someone that could help Doncic continue to develop. Develop the right habits, develop everything on and off the court. I think we're going to see that play out over the coming weeks, days, years."
Per reports, the Mavs grew frustrated over Luka Doncic's conditioning issues. Tim MacMahon of ESPN reported that the Slovenian star was pushing to 270 pounds and the organization was tired of the player.
Despite his conditioning issues, however, Doncic always made time to contribute to the team. During his seven-year stay in Dallas, the five-time All-NBA star always played at least 60 games yearly, averaging 28.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists.
The Lakers "hope" LeBron James can set an example for Doncic
One of the aspects of LeBron James's career that has kept him going for more than two decades is his discipline. James' attention to detail about his body has helped him win awards and dominate the league. The Lakers are hoping he could set an example for his new teammate.
Dan Woike of the LA Times reported that the organization wants King James to help Doncic.
"The Lakers are hopeful that James can not only pair with Doncic in the short term, but can also provide an example to the young star when it comes to the type of physical commitment it takes to sustain availability and greatness," Woike wrote.
There are still no reports about when Luka Doncic will make his LA Lakers debut. The 2019 Rookie of the Year may be able to return from his calf injury before the All-Star break, per early reports following the historic trade.
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