When LeBron James signed a two-year, $97.1 million deal to stay with the Lakers this past summer, nobody knew how bad things would get.
Even after last season’s disastrous campaign, there was some level of hope that the Lakers could turn things around and make the most of LeBron’s final seasons.
Instead, they came out looking flat on both ends of the floor and fell to 2-8 before finally starting to find a rhythm. And now, without Anthony Davis, James is out there pretty much all by himself with Russell Westbrook and a supporting cast that may be one of the worst in the league.
All of these things bubbled to the surface after L.A.’s 134-130 loss to the Hornets. Besides taking the L against one of the NBA’s worst franchises, the Lakers also went viral for a moment from LeBron that had everybody feeling bad.
Soon, fans found themselves asking if James was better off somewhere else, and it sparked a massive debate on Twitter.
Should LeBron James request a trade from the Lakers? pic.twitter.com/fH7EsdwdXH
— Lakers Lead (@LakersLead) December 24, 2022
James, 37, is still under contract with the Lakers but can opt for free agency as early as 2024. While it’s unknown what return James would get at this stage of his career.
Next season? Yes.
I don't care if he's the reason why they made a trade for Westbrook, they had a real chance at trading him for Myles and Buddy (or Wall and Wood) but Osama Bin Pelinka refused to get rid of those 1st round picks
— Alejan🏀 (@Alejan05612) December 24, 2022
Yes because Lakers are sabotaging him so he won't pass Kobe and Mike's ring
— ijey (@BILYGCIGAKGB) December 24, 2022
AD aint gonna get injured if we had Myles Turner. Agree?
— 💜💛 (@Lakers24ever18) December 24, 2022
He can’t be traded this year because he signed the extension and got lied to by the front office
— Ben 🍇 (@Emzhiii) December 24, 2022
Absolutely. Bruh playing at a High Level For basically no reason with the Lakers. It's wasting tbh. Lol
— CoyoteBlanco° (@5pt0H) December 24, 2022
Yes!!!! This front office is a joke. A player in year player should be coasting through the regular season versus carrying the load every game. Mistakes were made on both ends but they had all off season to fix it and they stood pat.
— MLPortley (@MlPortley) December 24, 2022
Yes. Absolutely. The Lakers aren't going to be able to put a contender around him. Trade him to a team that could be a title contender for a younger piece. Bron for Ingram? Bron for Maxey/Harris?
— Chris (@ohhCPayne) December 24, 2022
no he signed an extension and should see it through 😂
— 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙚 🌬️ (@romieonfilm) December 24, 2022
Yes! It’s time to move on
— Alexander D. (@adelcastillo707) December 24, 2022
As many fans pointed out, James is actually ineligible to be traded, so any type of request like that will have to come in the summer. By that point, LeBron will already know how this season played out and can judge for himself if the Lakers will get better.
Fortunately, they may not be as far from title contention as some people think.
Lakers Are Only ‘One Or Two More Trades’ Away From Contending In The West
While this season hasn’t gonna according to plan, it’s not too late to turn things around. If Anthony Davis comes back healthy in a few weeks, the Lakers could start winning games again.
All it may take to push this team over the top is a few more deals for high-impact players.
“The Lakers’ goal is to make the playoffs,” said Chris Haynes. “They do not want to miss the playoffs even due to AD’s injury. They are a trade or 2 away from contending in their mind — they like their chances if they are healthy in the playoffs.”
Only time will tell what the Lakers decide to do, but its clear frustration is building with their franchise player. If they don’t get LeBron some more help soon, they could start feeling the pressure to make some moves before he checks out for good.
While James is unlikely to request a trade, don’t be shocked if he ends his career somewhere else besides with the Purple and Gold.
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