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The news making the rounds is that LeBron James is not happy with the LA Lakers front office, especially with general manager Rob Pelinka. James' comments during the All-Star weekend have raised a lot of questions, especially with his commitment to retire as a Laker.
Since Super Bowl LVI, James has commended several GMs, which has been interpreted as him taking shots at Pelinka. The Lakers' failure to make any moves by the trade deadline is reportedly the primary reason LBJ is disgruntled.
Pundits have said their piece regarding the situation, and Los Angeles Times sports journalist Bill Plaschke has said that the Lakers need to trade LBJ. Reacting to Plaschke's column, ESPN's Brian Windhorst said this on "The Hoop Collective" podcast:
"Regardless of what happens in this Lakers season, when Anthony Davis comes back, when they sneak into the playoffs proper, they have to go in through the play-in. Whether we get a Clippers-Lakers play-in game, which would be remarkable, and all that kind of stuff.
"When the season is over, in my opinion, this is where we are. The Lakers are going to have two choices. Choice 1 is to go all in. Trade Westbrook, put the picks on the table – their 2027 and 2029 – one or both. Have LeBron under contract for one more year, hope that he extends. Do everything you possibly can to upgrade.
"Or I think they have to go all out, not just think about trading LeBron but trade Anthony Davis, too, and Westbrook."
Trading James automatically means the Lakers are not looking to contend for a championship. It is bizarre to think that a franchise, actively pursuing a championship, will willingly trade "King James."
Can LeBron James and Anthony Davis turn the LA Lakers' season around?
The Lakers are ninth in the Western Conference and will most likely have to fight for a spot in the playoffs through the play-in tournament. It has been a hard watch, as nothing seems to be working for the Lakers. They have been riddled with injuries and cannot seem to find the right personnel to win consistently.
However, they have one of the greatest one-two punches in LeBron James and Anthony Davis, who can cause serious damage when they are locked in. They showed how dominant they could be in their first season together, winning the 2020 NBA title. But they have struggled to find that rhythm ever since.
That said, it is worth noting that the Lakers have a talented roster strong enough to compete for the 2022 title. Unfortunately, they are not playing as a unit, and not everyone is playing their best basketball.
LBJ, at age 37, is still bossing the league with averages of 29.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game. But the production from his supporting cast has not been at a high level.
The Lakers have under 25 games to play in the regular season and will need to go on a run in that period. If everyone on the roster buys into the mission and plays their part, there is still hope for the Lakers' season.
