An NBA insider has revealed details of LeBron James and Luka Doncic’s relationship this summer.
It’s been a rocky offseason for the Los Angeles Lakers, but all has settled going into the 2024-25 season. They look ready to compete for the NBA title having made additions to their roster in key areas.
There were a lot of question marks entering the offseason. Can they fix their hole at centre? The Lakers signed DeAndre Ayton to address that. Will Doncic sign an extension? Doncic signed for three seasons. Will James remain a Laker? James looks set to stay.
There was another question looming over the offseason. How is James and Doncic’s relationship now that the Lakers have passed the torch to their newly acquired superstar? That question appears to have been answered as well.
LeBron James and Luka Doncic have ‘maintained communication’ all summer, says insider
After trading for Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks, the Lakers have made clear that they are focusing on building around the Slovenian star moving forward. In particular, the Lakers are focused on 2027 when big-name free agents could become available.
Meanwhile, James was rumoured to be leaving LA. He wants to compete for championships in the short-term, and was unsatisfied by the Lakers’ “lack of direction” in recent seasons. In return, the Lakers grew weary of “passive-aggressive jabs” at the team, according to reports.
The rift between James and the Lakers hasn’t come between the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and Doncic, however. The duo have been talking about ways of improving each other in the upcoming season all summer.
ClutchPoints’ NBA insider Anthony Irwin revealed, “Speaking of James, sources close to the team reiterated recently that he and Doncic have maintained communication dating back to the onset of the summer, with the focus being how they can make each other better.
“Rampant speculation about James’ future aside, both superstars are looking forward to playing together again next season.
All is well in Laker land off the court, and on the court, Doncic has had the most significant offseason of his career.
Two improvements Luka Doncic made this offseason, which make him even more dangerous
Doncic’s body transformation has been one of the stories of the offseason. After he was called out of shape by the Mavericks after the trade, Doncic responded to Dallas by turning his body around to the extent that he was on the cover of Men’s Health Magazine.
Doncic is playing for Slovenia at EuroBasket this summer. He is visibly more athletic, a fact confirmed by his teammates throughout the pre-tournament buildup. He’s been seen dunking in warm-ups and gliding to the basket with ease.
But that’s not the only improvement Doncic has made to his game this summer. He’s also worked on his catch-and-shoot ability to become a threat while James and Austin Reaves have the ball.
Irwin said, “He has also been in touch with coaches (Greg St. Jean is with him for EuroBasket, as an example) consistently this offseason to understand how they envision him impacting the game when LeBron James or Austin Reaves has the ball.”
Irwin spoke to an NBA scout, who explained the impact of Doncic becoming a catch-and-shoot threat. The scout told him, “Defenses should be nervous about him every second he’s on the court.”
The improvements Doncic has made to his body and his game make him a front-running MVP candidate. And if he and James, two of the best minds in basketball, have spent the summer figuring out how to get the best out of each other, the league is in trouble.