According to ESPN\u2019s Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst, general manager Rob Pelinka and coach JJ Redick had a reservation at the famed Craig\u2019s restaurant in West Hollywood four days after the Lakers\u2019 season ended \u2014 but only one Lakers superstar was in attendance.<\/p>\n
That was Luka Doncic.<\/p>\n
He, alongside his agent, Lara Beth Seager, sat down in early May with the team\u2019s coach and general manager to discuss their strategy in building the franchise around him and how they plan to navigate the league\u2019s new collective bargaining agreement.<\/p>\n
While there\u2019s a private exit out the back of Craig\u2019s, the quartet left out the front with a mob of paparazzi in tow, which Shelburne and Windhorst said was the team\u2019s clear depiction to the world that \u201cDoncic is the face of the franchise now.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The meetup, sans James, was just one of \u201ca series of microaggressions\u201d by the Lakers toward the 40-year-old who, barring a trade, is entering his eighth season with Los Angeles after picking up his $52.6 million player option.<\/p>\n
Since acquiring Doncic out of nowhere at the trade deadline in February, the Lakers\u2019 objective has been clear: lock up the 26-year-old for the future. <\/p>\n
And in the meantime, James is uncharacteristically becoming an afterthought.<\/p>\n
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 08: Luka Doncic #77 and LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers look on before the second half of a game against the Indiana Pacers at Crypto.com ArenaSource: AFP<\/p>\n
\u201cJames understood the Lakers taking advantage of an opportunity to pivot to the younger superstar,\u201d Shelburne and Windhorst reported. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut from James\u2019 perspective, sources said, nuance was sometimes lost during the transition.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoncic had never asked to be a Laker. James, for his part, had chosen L.A., coming in 2018 when the team had missed the playoffs five consecutive seasons, the worst run for the franchise since it moved from Minneapolis. <\/p>\n
Two years later, James had helped deliver a 17th championship.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince the dinner meeting, the Lakers followed up by not even engaging in any \u201csubstantial discussions\u201d regarding a possible short extension for James, creating a clear \u201cplanned end date\u201d for James\u2019 run as the face of the franchise.<\/p>\n
When the Buss family sold their majority stake of the Lakers, the five-month-tenured Doncic received notice ahead of time, but James did not.<\/p>\n
The Lakers have made it clear that the legend is no longer their priority, as they do everything they can to get Doncic signed to an extension sometime after Aug. 1 when he becomes eligible.<\/p>\n
In the time since, James has responded by \u201cpoking the bear,\u201d as he went home to Ohio and teased a return to the Cavaliers through social media posts consisting of his hat reading \u201cwelcome home,\u201d and him writing \u201cproper attire\u201d on a photo of Lakers team broadcaster Allie Clifton wearing a Cavaliers jersey.<\/p>\n
While these sorts of things can easily mean nothing, Shelburne and Windhorst wrote that a close source to James said, \u201cNothing LeBron does is a coincidence.\u201d<\/p>\n