Trade rumors regarding the Los Angeles Lakers have been swirling around for months, and we are now just days away from the February 8 deadline. After the Lakers’ 124-118 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night, LeBron James was twice asked about the roster and the rumors, as per Jovan Buha.
Reporter: “You guys went 4-2 on this trip. Do you feel like as a team you’ve proven or shown why you guys should continue to invest in this group?”
LeBron James: “This is who we have, so there’s nothing else to talk about.”
Reporter: “With the trade deadline approaching, do you like the makeup of this roster? Is this roster good enough to win a championship? Do changes need to be made?”
LeBron James: “It’s not a question for me. I love who we have in the locker room. And that’s all I worry about… I don’t get caught up in that. We’re gonna go out and prepare ourselves every single night no matter what it is. No matter who’s out on this team. No matter what. So it’s my job and it’s AD’s job as the two captains to make sure we keep the main thing the main thing. The main focus is now: Thursday’s game at home. And look forward to that matchup.”
LeBron, who is averaging 24.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 7.6 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game this season, is saying all the right things there. This is the kind of response you would want from the leader of the team but the problem is it comes on the back of James himself causing some drama with his antics.
After a blowout loss to the Atlanta Hawks last month, LeBron posted an hourglass emoji on X, which implied that time was running out for someone. Was that about one of his teammates, the coaching staff, or even himself? Well, only he knows, but it seems fairly clear that the 39-year-old wants change, no matter what he says in public.
NBA Insider Believes LeBron James Wore A Knicks Towel To Pressure The Lakers
As if raising some eyebrows with that emoji wasn’t enough, a few days later LeBron wore a New York Knicks towel during his postgame interview. It is not too often that you see a player wearing a towel of the opposing team, and NBA insider Brian Windhorst believes James used the Knicks towel to put pressure on the Lakers.
“He was cognizant and aware that he was putting on a towel that said New York Knicks. Why would he mess with the Knicks? Because he was using the Knicks as a tool to pressure the Lakers.”
LeBron appears to have been trying to get the Lakers, who are now 27-25 on the season, to make moves without explicitly stating it in public. He has always been the king of passive aggressiveness, but the Lakers are reportedly not reacting to James’ maneuvers, cryptic messages, or the towel incident.
They are only going to make deals that they would be comfortable making, no matter how much pressure LeBron puts them on. I believe ultimately, this comes down to that 2029 first-round draft pick.
James would want the Lakers to part with it, to get in a star who can help them turn things around this season. The organization, on the other hand, would much rather keep that pick, as there is a very good chance the Lakers would be in a rebuild by then. They wouldn’t want to sacrifice the future unless there is a move that guarantees a title this season, and I don’t see one right now.
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