College basketball freshmen who are making a case to be lottery picks
Here are 3 freshmen who are playing their way into becoming lottery picks for the 2025 NBA Draft.
More than six years ago at his rookie media day availability at the start of the 2018-19 season, Luka Doncic called LeBron James his idol and favorite player growing up.
Nearly three years ago, James posted an answer on social media to the question, “Fav player ever.” James responded, “LUKA. He’s my fav player!!” After a game against Dallas near the start of the 2019 season, James called Doncic’s game “a beautiful thing to watch.”
What before Saturday seemed like an impossible pairing – there’s no way the Dallas Mavericks would trade Doncic, right? – turned into reality when the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Doncic in a stunning, league-altering blockbuster trade in which Anthony Davis heads from the Lakers to Dallas as part of a three-team deal involving Utah, role players and draft picks.
The biggest trades – and this is one of the biggest in NBA history – are the ones nobody sees coming. In this case, that includes James, who was unaware this trade was in the works and was at a post-game dinner in New York when he learned of the news from team officials after an agreement had been reached, a person familiar with the situation told USA TODAY Sports under the condition of anonymity so he could speak freely.
James and Doncic are teammates for at least the rest of this season and perhaps longer given the mutual admiration.
The trade comes at a turbulent time for the NBA where dynasties have given way to parity under a new collective-bargaining agreement that restricts a team’s ability to acquire more than two All-NBA caliber players. Plus, the faces of the league are changing as James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant move closer to retirement.
James is still working through the impact of the trade, and his feelings have not been disclosed. Is he upset the Lakers didn’t keep him in the loop on a deal that sends his good friend to another team? How thrilled is he to play alongside Doncic? We’ll get those answers.
James and Davis crafted a friendship more than 12 years ago when Davis, who had just finished his freshman season at Kentucky and was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 draft, played on the U.S. Olympic team. Their friendship grew over the years – they share the same agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul – and then Davis joined the Lakers and James in 2019. They won a title in 2020 and a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
What does this mean for James and the Lakers? James sat at a dais at All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis a year ago and answered a question I asked about his future in L.A.
“I am a Laker, and I am happy and been very happy being a Laker the last six years, and hopefully it stays that way,” James said. “But I don’t have the answer to how long it is, or which uniform I’ll be in. Hopefully, it is with the Lakers. It’s a great organization and so many greats.”
The 40-year-old James – an All-Star starter for a record 21st consecutive time in 2025 – last summer signed a two-year, $101.3 million contract. However, he has a player option for the 2025-26 season and can become a free agent again this summer. He could sign another short-term deal with the Lakers, explore playing elsewhere or retire. And remember, his son Bronny is playing for the Lakers and their G League team, and dad enjoys making up for lost time with his eldest son.
Retirement isn’t far off regardless.
“I have not mapped out how many seasons I have left. I know it’s not that many. I also don’t know if I will ‒ I was asked this question a couple days ago. Will you kind of take the farewell tour, or will you kind of just Tim Duncan it?
“I’m 50-50, I’m going to be honest, because there’s times when I feel like I guess I owe it to my fans that have been along this journey with me for two decades plus, to be able to give them that moment where it’s every city and whatever the case may be and they give you your flowers or whatever the case may be. That seems cool.
“But the other side of (it is) I’ve never been that great with accepting like praise. It’s a weird feeling for me. I never really talked about it much, but it’s just a weird feeling for me. So, to go in each city, if that’s the case – I don’t know. I’ve seen Mike’s (Michael Jordan), I’ve seen Kobe’s (Kobe Bryant). I’ve seen a lot of guys. I just don’t know how I’d feel. I don’t know if I’d feel great about it. Maybe the only child in me. Maybe.”
Some close to James are advocating for an announcement on his final season so fans can have the opportunity to see him play in person a final time.
Also, the Lakers may not be done making deals. They only gave up one first-round pick in the Doncic-Davis deal and have another first-rounder available to use in a trade before Thursday’s deadline. Could they land a defensive-minded big man and move even closer to title contention? And rejuvenate James and motivate him to play another couple of seasons?
In star-driven Hollywood, the Lakers are a star-driven team and have been for decades. They have one of the greatest of all-time at the end of his career and now a five-time All-NBA 25-year-old guard entering his prime.
It’s a fascinating dynamic, and the answers to the questions will have far-reaching, league-wide implications.
Follow NBA reporter Jeff Zillgitt on social media @JeffZillgitt