LeBron James was unavailable for the Lakers game against their rivals Celtics due to a sore left ankle, missing the game alongside co-star Anthony Davis. Many chalked this up as a guaranteed loss for the fledgling Lakers against the best team in the league, but Austin Reaves led them to a shock win against a fully healthy Celtics roster.
LeBron was having a good time alongside AD on the bench, even being spotted clipping his nails late in the third quarter.
LeBron James is clipping his nails on the Lakers bench 😂 pic.twitter.com/Vy9VFYmr3H
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 2, 2024
Much has been made about LeBron’s frustrations with his Lakers teammates, but none of it showed tonight. James and AD were both taking an active role in coaching up the players on the court as the two leaders of the roster. Some fans even believe this win was possible because the two high-IQ stars were informally coaching as well.
Lakers really just beat the Celtics without LeBron and AD because they were filling in the place of coach and assistant coach for the Lakers lmao
— Grace (@gracesportakes) February 2, 2024
Austin Reaves filled in as the No. 1 option, putting up 32 points on the night to keep the Lakers’ offense humming. D’Angelo Russell had an inefficient scoring night and ended with 16 points on 20 shots, but he put on a playmaking clinic with 14 assists along with high-effort defense. Every Lakers starter ended up in double-digits, while Rui Hachimura also had 16 points off the bench,
Christian Wood was recently upset at Jaxson Hayes starting ahead of him for the Lakers without Davis, but that decision looked great tonight. Hayes had 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 steals as the starter while Wood had only four points off the bench, going 1-9 from the field.
Could LeBron James Be Traded?
A shocking report has come out from KTLA Broadcaster David Pingalore claiming that the Lakers have put out feelers around the league to see what a LeBron James trade could bring to the team.
“Hearing from NBA peeps (that) LeBron James is at the top of the Lakers list to trade the 39-year-old. Pelinka is looking for the right team to dance with and is close to a suitor LBJ and AD both out tonight.”
Hearing from @nba peeps @KingJames is the top of the @Lakers list to trade the 39 year old. Pelinka is looking for the right team to dance with and is close to a suitor Lbj and AD both out tonight. @KTLA @KTLA5SPORTS #nba #Lakers
— David Pingalore (@DavidPingalore) February 1, 2024
This is an incredible revelation, especially with Pingalore saying that the Lakers are close to finding a suitor. What? Why? How? That’s the natural reaction everyone has had to this news, as James has been great this season and is still the most marketable name in the league. LeBron retiring as a Lakers legend is huge for the Lakers brand and trading that away seems counterintuitive.
Many have rushed to question Pingalore’s credentials, but he also accurately reported Kawhi Leonard moving to the Clippers, LeBron moving to the Lakers in 2018, and most crucially, he predicted LeBron returning to the Cavaliers in 2012 before James even won his first NBA Championship. His track record is accurate and has concerned many.
Who is this guy? 😳 pic.twitter.com/RGubL6um9C
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 1, 2024
If James was to be traded, the Lakers need to find someone to send them $50 million in salary and potentially draft picks. The team that receives LeBron will also need to keep the semblance of a competitive roster to be able to contend. James is a free agent in the summer, so it seems tough to find a team that’ll be willing to tick these boxes unless James is committed to them for the long term himself.
The Dallas Mavericks and Cleveland Cavaliers are the only teams in recent memory to be linked with LeBron, with Kyrie Irving wanting James to team up with him and Luka Doncic in Dallas, while Cleveland provides a win-now situation while allowing LeBron to retire in his hometown.
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