LeBron James had one particular player from the Dallas Mavericks he wanted the Los Angeles Lakers to add in a major trade for Luka Doncic: Markieff Morris.
Marcus, Markieff’s brother, shared this detail during an appearance on Kevin O’Connor’s podcast on March 18. He explained James’ perspective on the matter.
“One thing people might not know is that ‘Kieff and Luka have a really strong bond. Like, a really strong bond,” Marcus said at the 7:32 mark.
“They probably saw that and wanted Luka to feel comfortable moving to a new team with someone who’s already been a teammate. Plus, Dorian Finney-Smith and Maxi Kleber also played with Luka, which helped. And since ‘Kieff had been part of that team, the Lakers were eager to bring him back. LeBron specifically asked for him.”
What’s Next for LeBron James and the Lakers
LeBron James is at a crossroads, and it’s intriguing that Marcus Morris has highlighted his brother’s close ties with both Luka Doncic and LeBron James. The Lakers bringing back the forward makes sense, especially considering his contributions to the team’s 2020 title run.
Although Markieff had a minimal role in the Lakers’ rotation, averaging 4.7 points and 1.6 rebounds in seven games, his veteran presence and role in helping Doncic transition to life in Los Angeles were key to the Lakers’ success since the trade.
Los Angeles currently holds a 42-27 record, securing the fourth spot in the Western Conference standings. They are just 0.5 games behind the Denver Nuggets and 2.5 games behind the Houston Rockets.
After losing to the Chicago Bulls on Saturday, the Lakers are looking to bounce back in their next game, facing the Orlando Magic on March
24 at 7 p.m. ET.