Almost everyone has spoken about the league-shattering transaction between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks. Days before the deadline, the Lakers acquired Luka Doncic, a generational player, in exchange for Anthony Davis. Many people are still amazed by what transpired and how it affected the NBA’s dynamics.
Dwight Howard, a former center for the Lakers, shared how he was surprised by what happened. Just like most people, Howard had a moment where he thought about how the trade was made possible. However, he realized that there was a person in the organization who had a commanding influence when it came to certain roster changes.
“I was suprised for a second but then I remembered LeBron is on the team… anything is possible with LeBron,” Howard said.
Dwight Howard on the Luka trade 👀
“I was suprised for a second but then I remembered LeBron is on the team… anything is possible with LeBron” pic.twitter.com/vgtOc8zro0
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) March 25, 2025
Around the league, LeBron James is referred to as LeGM. This refers to his power over the roster and front office. However, neither he nor his camp have verified any of this. Nonetheless, supporters like referring to James and the influence he wields in making specific adjustments to the squad he’s on.
Former NBA player hints that James knew about the Los Angeles Lakers’ plan to trade for Doncic
There have been quite a few talks about whether James knew about the Doncic trade or not. The four-time champion and his camp have avoided talking about it. While the news about the roster change was still fresh, the 6-foot-9 forward confirmed with the media that he had no idea about the trade.
However, former NBA player Marcus Morris hinted that James knew the deal. Morris appeared as a guest on the “Kevin O’Connor Show” where he talked about the Doncic trade. According to him, the four-time MVP pushed for the Lakers to include his brother, Markieff Morris, to the trade package.
“The part about it I don’t think a lot of people see is that ‘Kieff and Luka have a really good relationship. Like, a really good relationship,” he said at the 7:32 mark. “So I think that they probably noticed that and they wanted Luka to feel better going to a new place where you have somebody who has been a teammate. Also Dorian Finney-Smith has been [Dončić’s teammate]. Maxi Kleber. So I think that really helped. Also ‘Kieff played there, so the Lakers really wanted him to come. ‘Bron asked for him to come.”
Because of Morris’ veteran leadership and relationship with both James and Doncic, the Los Angeles Lakers wanted the Mavericks to include him in the deal.
Credit: Getty Images
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
