When the blockbuster trade involving Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis happened last February, the majority of the sports world was caught off guard. That includes Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James , who has consistently made it clear that he had no idea the trade was going to happen .
But as expected, many doubted that James didn't know, including former player Jeff Teague , who felt that LBJ was on board with Davis getting traded in the first place.
"Man, he probably was like, man, he's on his way out. He probably ain't care. He was probably like, 'man, we can't win with… we ain't winning anyway. I don't know. We're about to get Luka. I bet we're going to get Luka," said Teague via the "Cub 520 Podcast."
Throughout most of his 23-year career in the league, Bron has operated in a way where he knows that he is the sun of his team's solar system. Most moves are made with him in mind. Given how significant the Doncic-Davis trade was, Teague feels it's impossible that the Lakers didn't, at the very least, give a hint or alert him.
Teague also implied that maybe James was vocal about allegedly not knowing that the trade would happen because he didn't care. It's easier for him to pretend that he was bothered by it on camera because it's a different story behind closed doors.
"I'm starting to believe, I don't think… I know LeBron gets people traded, but I don't think he knows everything. Like, sometimes he probably doesn't care, bro. Like to be real, like playing basketball, you really don't care about other people. You honestly don't," said Teague.
"I'm saying he's still like when you hear Bron when he's away from the cameras, and he's just being normal. Like when he was golfing, you could tell Bron is like one of us still," he added.
Teague isn't making claims about James' personality and how he acted after one of — if not — the biggest trades in NBA history formalized, but more so just speaking from a player's perspective as someone who also went through it.
The 2021 NBA champion may not have ever had the power that James currently has with his teams, but he knows how superstars act when it comes to roster decisions and moves. That's why Teague also said that James' reaction to the Davis trade was similar to his reaction to Kyrie Irving 's trade to the Boston Celtics in 2017.
"I'm sure he probably was like, 'We don't want Kyrie to leave.' Like, but if Kyrie said, 'I don't want to be here.' He was probably like, 'F**k it. He doesn't want to be here,'" said Teague.
Teague definitely brought up interesting theories about how James might be. Still, they can never be truly confirmed or denied, given the fact that there is a code of silence that is usually mandatory regarding NBA trades, especially one like Davis-Doncic.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 30, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
