Lakers star LeBron James was visibly frustrated as his team crashed to another loss on Tuesday night. Atlanta dropped 138 on the Lakers and James was on the edge of losing it several times throughout the night. According to Gilbert Arenas, last night’s defeat was the last straw for James, who has apparently sent the signal to trade everyone on the roster…
“I’m gonna say what LeBron really want to say… the 12 of y’all, there’s no exit meeting fellas! It’s 12 players gone… [Austin] Reaves coming back, Rui [Hachimura] you’re cool. The rest of y’all can get the f*ck out of here! I done seen enough to realize, we cool…”
I KNOW THAT BRON CHIN RUB.
PLAYERS, PACK YA THINGS.
📍 https://t.co/fiZ0BycDpS pic.twitter.com/Q7vBnc3tEa
— Gil’s Arena (@GilsArenaShow) May 23, 2023
What’s strange is that this roster is the same one that made the West Finals last season. In fact, with the addition of Cam Reddish, Taurean Prince, and Gabe Vincent this past summer, one could argue they should be even better than they were during last season’s hot stretch. Unfortunately, the Lakers failed to keep up with the rising Western Conference and now the burden on LeBron James and Anthony Davis is higher than ever.
LeBron James Is Losing Patience
At 39 years old, LeBron James doesn’t have a lot of time to capture another title before the end of his career. This season, with LeBron still playing at an elite level, it’s more important than ever that he’s in a position to compete and add to his prestigious resume. With averages of 24.9 points, 7.7 assists, and 7.5 rebounds per game, LeBron has been holding his end of the bargain for the Lakers. Everyone else, however, hasn’t been nearly as reliable.
From Jaxson Hayes to Taurean Prince, role-players from the top and bottom of the rotation have been struggling and even fan-favorite guard Austin Reaves has been streaky over the past few months. For James, these struggles have boiled over to a point where he can no longer publicly hide his frustration. On Tuesday, he nearly went off on his teammates mid-game before later posting a cryptic single-character message on social media. By all accounts, changes are coming for the Lakers… now it’s just a matter of which changes will be made…
Trades Are Coming
This season, with pressure at an all-time high, it’s a near certainty that the Lakers will make some kind of move before February’s deadline. But with several prime candidates already off the table, the search for an upgrade at any position will take some time, especially if D’Angelo Russell or Austin Reaves is involved in the deal.
We already know that the Lakers have an interest in guys like Dejounte Murray and Zach LaVine in potential trades but it remains to be seen if Rob Pelinka is willing to pay the steep price for either of those players. For now, the search continues for the right trade and it’s better off for the Lakers to wait than to rush into making a deal that makes them worse. Either way, expect some “moving furniture” in Lakerland this season, whether that’s on the coaching bench or the roster itself.
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