According to ESPN insider Dave McMenamin, the Lakers didn't tell James of the trade beforehand. "LeBron James learned of the Davis-Doncic trade after the Knicks game when it broke while he was out to dinner with his family, sources close to James told ESPN. James was surprised by the news, is processing it and had no idea it was in the works, sources said."

In a blockbuster trade that figures to impact the Western Conference balance of power for years to come, the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz agreed to a three-team deal that will swap Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania late Saturday.

The Mavericks are sending Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to the Lakers while Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick are going to Dallas, according to multiple reports. The Jazz are the third team in the deal and are acquiring guard Jalen Hood-Schifino and two 2025 second-round draft picks from the Clippers and Mavericks. As for the Mavericks, general manager Nico Harrison told ESPN he thinks that defense is the backbone of any team that aspires to win a title and that Davis fits this bill completely. The Los Angeles Times reported that a longstanding relationship between him and his Lakers counterpart, Rob Pelinka, played a role in getting the deal done. Harrison worked at Nike for 19 years, last serving as vice president of North America basketball operations, where he worked with athletes like Lakers great Kobe Bryant. Pelinka was Bryant’s agent before he became a Lakers exec. “I believe that getting an All-Defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance. We’re built to win now and in the future,” Harrison told ESPN.