After Paul's comments opened the trade speculation floodgates regarding the future Hall of Fame inductee, the Lakers have made it obvious that their 26-year-old superstar Dončić is viewed as the more important piece at this point in time, a wildly unfamiliar situation for James.

For months, publicly and privately, the Lakers have been signaling their desire to begin the Luka Doncic era in Los Angeles, even if it meant ending the LeBron James one.

Lakers’ Clear Priority Between LeBron James, Luka Doncic Revealed originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James is set to turn 41 in the middle of next season, and while many assumed he would finish his career in L.A., recent comments from his agent, Rich Paul, raised some eyebrows.