Shaquille O’Neal believes the Los Angeles Lakers began moving on from LeBron James when they acquired Luka Doncic, even though the two superstars spent the 2025-26 season together. O’Neal told Heavy that the decision reflected the business side of the NBA and the Lakers’ desire to build around a younger superstar.
“No, it’s what we call the business of basketball,” O’Neal said. “When you get older, and you’re still playing at a high level, you’re still trying to demand high money; sometimes as a franchise you have to say, ‘Do I want to pay this guy this much money for the next two years, or do I wanna go get younger?’ I knew when they brought in Luka Doncic, they were looking to start over.”
The Lakers acquired Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks in February 2025 in a three-team trade that sent Anthony Davis to Dallas. The move gave Los Angeles a 25-year-old All-NBA superstar while James was already 40, establishing Doncic as the franchise’s long-term centerpiece.
James and Doncic still played together in 2025-26, with both remaining major contributors. Doncic averaged 33.5 points, 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds in 64 games, shooting 47.6% from the field and 36.6% from three-point range.
James averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds in 60 games while shooting 51.5% from the field. At age 41, he remained an All-Star and started all 60 games he played.
The Lakers finished 53-29 and fourth in the Western Conference, but their season ended in the second round when the Oklahoma City Thunder swept them 4-0.
The offseason then made the shift identified by O’Neal explicit. Los Angeles committed to building its roster around Doncic and Austin Reaves while ultimately parting ways with James.
The Lakers had already extended Doncic before the 2025-26 season, giving the franchise a long-term foundation around a 27-year-old superstar.
Los Angeles subsequently doubled down on that direction in July by acquiring Walker Kessler and committing to a new core of Doncic, Reaves and Kessler. The Lakers also gave Reaves a four-year, $185 million extension, further establishing the roster’s post-James structure.
That transformation means James’ departure was not simply the end of a contract cycle. From O’Neal’s perspective, the Lakers had already made their strategic choice when they traded for Doncic: preserve the present with James or invest in a player capable of leading the franchise for the next decade.
The Lakers ultimately chose the latter.
