LeBron James just turned 38 years old today. At this point, everyone knows that he is approaching the end of his career. In fact, he even spoke about retirement this week. However, it is clear that James can still play at a high level and that he is motivated to do big things.
Unfortunately, the Lakers have not given him the roster he needs to compete. There have been calls for the Lakers to make a move, however, they don’t seem to have the faculties to do that right now. If anything, they will have to wait until the offseason.
According to a report from Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, there is a scenario in which the Lakers would have to straight up trade LeBron James. Essentially, if they can’t secure free agents like Kyrie Irving or Draymond Green, then LeBron will have little reason to want to stay. Overall, it creates a bad situation for the Lakers.
LeBron James Trade?
Per Mannix:
“Let’s face it: LeBron James’s decision to extend his contract with the Lakers was a mistake. It was a mistake for James, who doesn’t need the guaranteed cash, pushing his deal through 2023–24 limited his leverage. It was also a mistake for L.A., which didn’t have the pieces to build a title contender around James and (this season, anyway) doesn’t have the flexibility to do anything with him.
“In an ideal world, the Lakers use the cap space created by Russell Westbrook’s exit next summer to sign Kyrie Irving or Draymond Green, flip a draft pick or two and vault back into contention next season. But if that doesn’t happen, can the Lakers really go into 2023 with James, Anthony Davis and whatever group of castoffs they can assemble around them? Would James want to? Dealing James would take some chutzpah, but if L.A. whiffs on big-ticket items next offseason, is there really a better choice?”
It seems unfathomable that LeBron would be traded. However, even Wayne Gretzky was traded. At the end of the day, everyone has their own interests and if LeBron and the Lakers don’t align, then they must part ways.
Let us know what you think about this possibility, in the comments below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for more news from around the sports world.
[Via]