Did Lakers help keep LeBron James in Cleveland with trade?

When the trade went down between the Lakers and Cavaliers before the deadline — sending Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. to Cleveland in exchange for Isaiah Thomas and Channing Frye plus Cleveland's 2018 first-round draft pick (top-five protected) — it caught the NBA by surprise. Los Angeles could sign two max players — LeBron James and Paul George. Why would Cleveland help Los Angeles open up room to steal LeBron.