“You don’t spend $10 billion and sit courtside. You run the show.”
The winds of change are howling through Los Angeles and NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins believes LeBron James is no longer the man in charge.
Following the Lakers’ massive $10 billion sale and the arrival of Luka Dončić, Perkins claims that LeBron’s grip on the franchise is fading fast, with a new power center forming around Luka and his agency, WME.
“It’s not a 40-year-old LeBron James anymore… it’s Luka,” Perkins said on-air. “It’s Luka and it’s WME.”
A New Sheriff in Town
LeBron’s influence over Lakers personnel moves, once legendary, may be crumbling. For years, he and Klutch Sports boss Rich Paul were the behind-the-scenes architects of L.A.’s roster. But that era might be ending.
Perkins specifically called out a recent cryptic public statement from Rich Paul as unnecessary and ineffective:
“Bron, Rich Paul putting out a statement… it really served no purpose but to ruffle feathers. And those feathers? That was a freaking tornado.”
With Jeanie Buss reportedly staying on in a leadership role post-sale, Perkins isn’t convinced she’s still pulling the strings. “You ain’t paying $10 billion without calling shots,” he declared hinting that new ownership is resetting the hierarchy, with Luka front and center.
The Luka-WME Takeover
According to Perkins, the Lakers are now building around Luka Dončić, not LeBron. The signing of Deandre Ayton? Not just a roster upgrade. It was a move possibly influenced by Luka himself.
“You don’t think Luka is having a say in what’s going on in the Lakers front office right now? You crazy as hell,” Perkins said.
WME, the agency representing Luka, is quickly becoming the new power broker in Los Angeles. If Luka signs his expected extension in August, it will solidify a franchise shift away from Hollywood stardom and toward youthful, long-term team building.
LeBron’s Legacy vs. Luka’s Future
Despite still playing at an elite level and remaining a global icon, LeBron is no longer the centerpiece, at least not behind the scenes. He’s not a WME client. And as the Lakers plot for the post-Jeanie, post-Klutch era, they appear to be building a team around someone who fits the next chapter, not the last one.
Perkins believes we’re witnessing something deeper than roster changes. This is about a power transition. The King may still be playing, but the throne is being prepared for someone else.
“All signs point to the prince claiming the throne sooner than expected and the king being ushered out of his domain.”