Like everyone in the Lakers organization, LeBron James wants to return to contender status.
For James, at the age of 37, there are only so many NBA tomorrows left. Now that he’s signed a two-year extension, well, he doesn’t want a repeat of last season. That’s when the Lakers finished 33-49 and failed to qualify for even the play-in tournament.
So if the Lakers need to trade both of their available future first-round draft picks to improve right now, then they may want to consider it. And apparently, that’s precisely want they are willing to do.
Per Marc Stein of The Stein Line, James has received assurances from the front office that the team is “willing to trade both of their available future first-round picks in 2027 and 2029 if a trade that costs them both picks can realistically position the Lakers to return to contender status.”
Of course, that is seemingly what the Lakers would have to do to move on from Russell Westbrook and find a better fit (or two). For instance, the Pacers apparently won’t ever get serious about trading Buddy Hield and Myles Turner to LA without both of those LA first-rounders in return.
And while the Lakers are trying to pry Kyrie Irving away from the Nets, word is, they don’t have enough. It has been reported that the Nets want more than Westbrook and the Lakers’ picks, and believe they are more likely to find a better offer from someone else.
Either way, as we relayed, James has been “privately adamant” that the Lakers find ways to upgrade the roster. It seems now they will try with all their might to do just that.
James, 37, agreed to a two-year contract extension with the Lakers on Wednesday. He is coming off another outstanding season individually, averaging 30.1 points and passing Karl Malone for second on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. But the thinking around the NBA is he is no longer capable of carrying a team, and he will need more than just an injury-prone Davis to lift the Lakers back to great things.
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Set up that roster blaming excuse, LeBron. You only have 3+ hall of famers on your roster, currently.
Honestly, at this point in his career, his focus should be on his game and his body. What he can do to keep up with the youth of the league. More post up work. Getting on the same page as Ham and his CURRENT teammates. Learning how to get more out of everybody else, instead of just blame them.
Ham is on point, the team needs buy in a commitment to each other, to play for each other. This article suggest LeBron will not be changing. It will be all about LeBron, when credit is due. And all about the others, when there is somebody to blame. Old habits die hard.