*Charles Barkley has responded to the shocking news that the Mavericks unexpectedly traded Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers.
According to the Daily Mail, the trade sent Anthony Davis, a 2029 first-round pick, and Max Christie to Dallas in exchange for Dončić, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris—stunning the NBA community. CBS NBA Insider Bill Reiter previously reported that Lakers star LeBron James was frustrated with Davis last year, but LeBron denied the claim on X, calling it false.
Basketball Network writes, “If reports are to be believed, it seems like Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka kept the 6’9″ forward out of the loop until the decision was made to acquire Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic for All-Star big man Anthony Davis.”
James has slammed claims that he wanted Davis to leave the Lakers. ESPN reporter Dave McMenamin said on X that “James was surprised by the news, is processing it and had no idea it was in the works.”
Scroll to continue reading
Barkley believes the Dončić trade proves that LeBron is no longer in control of the Lakers.
“I do think this kind of sets the end to, like, LeBron James making all the decisions,” Barkley said in a discussion regarding the stunning trade finalized and announced on Sunday.
“They’re like, ‘Hey, we love you, LeBron, but we’re going to start doing what’s best for the Lakers.’ That’s what I got out of this trade from a Lakers standpoint,” the Hall of Famer added.
“It seems like, to me, they’re like, ‘Hey, you know what? LeBron’s on his last legs. Let’s start getting us a star for the future,'” Barkley implied.
Watch his full remarks in the YouTube clip above.
READ MORE FROM EURWEB.COM: LeBron James Denies Wanting Anthony Davis Traded to Mavericks
