The Los Angeles Lakers have a bona fide trio in Austin Reaves, LeBron James, and Luka Doncic. The thought process was that, since James is at the back end of his career, the organization could start preparing for a future built around Doncic. For James, however, it’s all about contending.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Rich Paul told ESPN. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”
With Doncic, the Lakers planned to take their time building the right pieces around him, but he wants things on a faster track.
“Dončić being just 26 gives the Lakers a far longer timeline to build a championship-contending team, but that doesn't mean they can slow down and take their time. Dončić told Lakers president Rob Pelinka and coach JJ Redick in May that he's not interested in taking the slow approach in building a contender,” CBS Sports’ Jasmyn Wimbish wrote.
For the Lakers, blending the timelines of James, Doncic, and Reaves has been a tough task — one that the Golden State Warriors handled more successfully.
“The Los Angeles Lakers must learn from the Golden State Warriors about the difficulty of blending timelines. The formation of a big three is completed by the timeless LeBron James. At 41, he continues to play at a level that would've led to All-Star recognition had he not missed 17 games already. Unfortunately, the timelines that Doncic, James, and Reaves are working along are already conflicting,” Lake Show Life’s Maxwell Ogden wrote.
With the trade deadline approaching, while one of the big three is unlikely to be traded, there is always speculation about “what if.” The Lakers are trying to make it work, and with Reaves returning, it may become even clearer that challenges lie ahead.
LA thought they were doing the right thing in acquiring Doncic, but they may have made the move too early to see immediate success. However, the warning signs were already evident from the Warriors’ big three era.