LeBron James' tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers has been a roller coaster. From missing the playoffs to winning the NBA championship, the front office has failed to surround him with the supporting cast he needs to thrive.
The Lakers have had some tough luck with injuries as well. But whatever the case, it's become evident that they're nowhere near contention this season, nor will they be in the foreseeable future.
With that in mind, the word around the league is that they could work something out with LeBron, so he can take his big salary off their books while playing for a contending team via trade this summer.
NBA Rumors: Lakers Could Trade LeBron James
(Transcript via Chris Mannix — Sports Illustrated)
"Let’s face it: LeBron James’s decision to extend his contract with the Lakers was a mistake. It was a mistake for James, who doesn’t need the guaranteed cash, pushing his deal through 2023–24 limited his leverage. It was also a mistake for L.A., which didn’t have the pieces to build a title contender around James and (this season, anyway) doesn’t have the flexibility to do anything with him.
In an ideal world, the Lakers use the cap space created by Russell Westbrook’s exit next summer to sign Kyrie Irving or Draymond Green, flip a draft pick or two and vault back into contention next season. But if that doesn’t happen, can the Lakers really go into 2023 with James, Anthony Davis and whatever group of castoffs they can assemble around them? Would James want to? Dealing James would take some chutzpah, but if L.A. whiffs on big-ticket items next offseason, is there really a better choice?"
James will always go down as the guy who led the Lakers back to the NBA Finals, even if some still don't give him credit for that ring in the bubble. Now, it's time for him to make the most of his final years on a team that can actually compete.
