"LeBron... I hope he is a Laker for a long time" - 5-time NBA champion wants LA Lakers to keep LeBron James for the long haul

NBA legend Magic Johnson expects the LA Lakers to hang on to superstar forward LeBron James for the long term. Magic has been a Laker through and through, either as a star player, a coach or an executive.

There have been several trade rumors concerning James. The LA Lakers have little to no assets left for the trade market, and their future looks bleak. Thus, analysts like ESPN's Stephen A. Smith have given bold suggestions to trade James. This is because players like Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook are not worth much in the market right now.

In an interview with TMZ, Johnson was asked to give his two cents on the head coaching vacancy and James' situation. He said:

"LeBron ... I hope. He is a Laker for a long time. I hope so"

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The interviewer then asked him about his potential choices for the head coach role and whether he could consider taking the job himself. He laughed it off when the interviewer pressed him about becoming a head coach.

Johnson said:

" I don't know (who they're going to hire). ... I don't think Phil (Jackson) is going to coach again. But he's helping with the look, so that's good. He's going to do what I'm sure (owner) Jeanie Buss and (general manager) Rob Pelinka (want)."

Johnson isn't going to sit on the bench himself but hopes the Lakers can get someone worthy for the job.

Should the LA Lakers consider trading LeBron James?

While trading LeBron James seems like an extreme move, the idea is very sound.

The LA Lakers are in a tough situation. Many players on their 2021-22 roster were on one-year deals and will likely not return for next season. Players like Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and many more might not don the colors of the Purple and Gold next season.

The Lakers are in dire need of youth, shooting and defense and have no assets left to acquire them. They have little to no draft picks and no long-term players to trade.

Moreover, the Big Three has its flaws as well. Russell Westbrook was a liability all season long. Anthony Davis is potentially a top 10 player in the league but has been injury-prone.

Thus, LeBron James, at 37 years old, is arguably the only viable asset the LA Lakers have. He is still playing at an MVP level, and no team would possibly give up an opportunity to get him.

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Any championship-caliber team builds around its superstars and acquires players to complement them. Thus, it doesn't look like King James is going anywhere.