Last offseason, Rob Pelinka and the Los Angeles Lakers agreed to trade for Russell Westbrook. They had a deal in place for Buddy Hield, yet LeBron James and Anthony Davis wanted Westbrook instead.
That didn't work out; their salary cap situation was messy, to say the least, and their veteran-studded roster was hurt for most of the season. To make things even worse, they don't have the financial flexibility to turn this around quickly.
That's why some people speculate that LeBron's tenure in Southern California could come to a sudden end. Per Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report, he could force his way out as soon as this offseason.
NBA Rumors: LeBron Could Demand A Trade This Offseason
(Transcript via Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report)
"Let's say you're LeBron James, which means you're 37 years old, possibly the NBA's GOAT and possess more experience playing high-level basketball with high-level teammates than anyone else currently active in the NBA. In this hypothetical, you know what a championship roster looks like.
You also know you're nearing the end of your days as one of the best players in the league. Your time to get one last ring is running short. You cannot under any circumstances waste another year on a team that seems more likely to make the lottery than the Finals.
The Los Angeles Lakers have no promising young players likely to ascend, no depth, virtually no first-round picks to trade, no reason to believe Russell Westbrook will be better in his 15th season than he was in his 14th and no legitimate chance to contend—now or in the near future.
Don't you, LeBron James, think long and hard about engineering an exit?"
Judging by LeBron's history, this isn't a far-fetched thought. He took some passive-aggressive shots at Pelinka in the season and he's never hesitated to switch teams when they're not in a position to compete at the highest level.
But then again, one can only wonder whether one of the most polarizing figures in NBA history will want to go through all that backlash again at this point in his career, especially after already winning a championship with three different franchises.
