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Despite recent trade speculation, LA Lakers star forward LeBron James is expected to end his career in Los Angeles.
In other news, the Lakers’ other star forward, Anthony Davis, is expected to return from a foot injury before the All-Star break.
On that note, here are the latest rumors surrounding the LA Lakers as of Jan. 17, 2023.
LeBron James likely to finish his career with the LA Lakers
There has been some recent speculation about LeBron James potentially requesting a trade out of LA this offseason. Most of those rumors have since been denied by multiple reliable sources. This includes The Athletic’s David Aldridge, who recently reported that it is likely James will finish his career in LA.
"It's obviously more likely than not that LeBron James finishes his career as a Laker," Aldridge said.
However, Aldridge then went on to discuss some possible trade destinations for James if he does decide to move on from the Lakers.
Aldridge listed Atlanta, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Chicago, New Orleans and Phoenix as the six most realistic destinations for James. However, Aldridge then reiterated that any trade involving James is unlikely.
“It’s far more likely than not that James finishes his career in Los Angeles alongside AD, with the Lakers ultimately pulling the trigger to move one or both of their 2027 and 2029 first-rounders by next month for upgrades,” Aldridge said.
For more on David Aldridge's LeBron James trade proposals, click here.
Anthony Davis expected to return for LA Lakers before All-Star break
The LA Lakers have been treading water without Anthony Davis over the past month. This has set them up for a potential playoff push over the second half of the season once they get back to full strength. Luckily for the Lakers, they may not have to wait much longer for Davis to return from his foot injury.
According to Sham Charania of The Athletic, Davis is expected to return before the All-Star break, which is scheduled to start on Feb. 16.
"I'm told that the hope is that Anthony Davis will be able to get back out on the floor with a handful of games left before the All-Star break," Charania said.
Anthony Davis last played on Dec. 16 versus Denver. The Lakers have gone 8-8 since. For the season, they are now 9-10 without Davis and 11-14 with him, giving them an overall record of 20-24. However, the Lakers will surely welcome back their star big man as he was playing at an elite level before his injury.
Davis is averaging 27.4 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.1 blocks per game on 59.4% shooting through 25 games.
For more on Anthony Davis' eventual return, click here.
Veteran free agent big men impress during workouts for LA Lakers
The LA Lakers have elected not to bring back guard Sterling Brown on a second 10-day contract, according to Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. Instead, they have opted to keep their 15th roster spot open for now.
However, this report coincides with the news that the Lakers were impressed by two veteran big men who worked out for them on Friday. The two players are former four-time All-Star DeMarcus Cousins and nine-year vet Meyers Leonard.
Following their workout, Lakers coach Darvin Ham spoke about how impressed he was with both players. However, Ham wouldn’t commit to signing either of the players.
"They both looked great," Ham said. "Whether or not we're able to do something with them is a different story. But we're constantly trying to kick the tires on different scenarios,” Ham continued.
DeMarcus Cousins played for both Milwaukee and Denver last season. Cousins averaged 9.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.8 3-pointers per game on 46.0% shooting over 48 total games.
Meyers Leonard last played in the 2020-2021 NBA season for Miami. However, he was only able to appear in three games that season due to injuries and a controversy involving antisemitism that got him suspended. Leonard was then traded to OKC, waived shortly after, and has been out of the NBA ever since.
In his last healthy season in the 2019-2020 season, Leonard averaged 6.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.0 3-pointers per game over 51 games. He also shot an efficient 50.9% and 41.4% from three.
When asked if Cousins or Leonard could be candidates to sign a 10-day contract in place of Brown, Ham remained non-committal.
"We'll see," Ham said. "We want to do our due diligence and make sure we know they've been in front of us and we've seen them so we can make a well-informed decision," Ham continued.
It remains to be seen which direction the Lakers will decide to go in with their open roster spot. However, they have made it clear that they are thoroughly evaluating all of their options to ensure they make the right decision.
