Udonis Haslem makes feelings clear on Luka Doncic's Lakers trade with Pat Riley's wisdom

It has been over a month since Luka Doncic debuted for the LA Lakers, but the trade that shocked the world continues to be a topic of conversation among basketball circles. Udonis Haslem, Mike Miller and Corey Brewer discussed the trade on Wednesday's "The OGs." Haslem relied on a quote by Miami Heat president Pat Riley to make sense of the trade.

Haslem, who spent his two-decade NBA career with the Heat, saw the team change with several earth-shattering moves. Haslem relied on the Riley school of wisdom to talk about why the Lakers moved to acquire Doncic.

"I got this from coach Riley, man," Haslem said. "Anytime you get an opportunity to get a whale? You got to take it. I hear Riley talk about those whales — those certain type of players that no matter what, if they come up and they're available, you make the move that you got to make to get them."

Riley engineered the acquisitions of Shaquille O'Neal and LeBron James, among others, throughout his stint as a longtime part of Miami's front office.

Haslem's description of Riley's belief in moving heaven and earth to capture a generational talent or a "whale" befits what the Lakers did to pair Doncic with James when the team desperately needed a change in direction.

Udonis Haslem talks about how the Luka Doncic trade has revived LeBron James' Laker tenure

LeBron James and his consistent greatness are undeniable, but in recent seasons, there has been an opinion that he has dropped from being one of the top players in the league to arguably just a player who delivers All-Star caliber seasons.

However, since the LA Lakers acquired Slovenian star Luka Doncic, James has been on a tear and, up until his recent injury, had arguably been playing the best basketball of his tenure as a Laker.

Udonis Haslem, James' former teammate with the Miami Heat, talked about the impact of the trade on the four-time NBA champion on his podcast:

"Right now, Bron's playing the best basketball he's probably played, since he's been a Laker," Haslem said. "Not if, he is playing the best basketball he's played since he's been a Laker."

LeBron James and Udonis Haslem during their tenure at the Heat - Source: Getty

A rejuvenated James and a vengeful Doncic have driven the Lakers back to contender status in the Western Conference. They pose a significant threat to other contenders in the playoffs, knowing what they can achieve from just their small sample size of games together.