LeBron James doesn't want a Lakers player back next season

It was a tale of two teams with the Los Angeles Lakers this season. They had two different rosters and had the second-best defense after the NBA trade deadline, up to the point where they reached the Western Conference Finals.

But as good as that roster was, they just weren’t able to get past Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and the Denver Nuggets. They were the better team on both ends of the floor, and the Lakers lacked another ball-handler down the stretch.

That’s why a recent report states that LeBron James might not be that happy with D’Angelo Russell, who was exposed and ultimately benched after some subpar play — again — in the postseason.

LeBron James Might Not Want D’Angelo Russell Back

“I hate to say one playoff series can change a franchise’s whole outlook on a guy because that just does not happen, but it is happening with some of the people in that building, maybe most significantly, with LeBron,” one Western Conference executive told Heavy. “Is this a guy they want to invest in? Does LeBron want him back — there is talk that he is not Russell’s biggest fan?”

“But they gave up that pick (2027 first-rounder) to get him and I can tell you, that was like pulling teeth for some of them in that building. They gave up the pick, they are not letting him walk away,” the executive added.

Russell will be a free agent and the Lakers won’t make any decisions without LeBron’s blessing, especially considering he’s reportedly weighing in on walking away from the game.

They could be on the market for another lead guard to take some scoring and playmaking duties off LeBron’s shoulders, so keep an eye on Kyrie Irving in free agency, as he’s been tied to a move to L.A. for quite a while now.