In the midst of the pomp and circumstances of the festivities, LeBron James also made it known that his stay with the Lakers is not set in stone. The team’s inability or unwillingness to improve the lineup before the trade deadline or potentially over the summer could shockingly urge him to move out of LA.
The Undisputed co-host Skip Bayless, who’s currently on vacation, wasted no time calling out James for his possible reason for looking for a change in scenery. Bayless tweeted:
Entering the season, it was well-chronicled that the LA Lakers could have made more sensible changes to compete for the title without trading for Russell Westbrook. Despite the obvious fit issues with the ball-dominant and consistently erratic triple-double king, LeBron James reportedly signed off on the acquisition.
The blockbuster trade ended the Lakers’ reported chances of acquiring DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry. A roster that relies on James and Anthony Davis as the main stars could have done better with the aforementioned players better options instead of Westbrook.
The Tinseltown team could have also acquired Buddy Hield in a separate deal while retaining a few of their crucial pieces like Alex Caruso and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
By giving the go-signal to acquire Westbrook, LeBron James is partly to blame for the LA Lakers’ obvious lack of depth and fit problems. The front office was reportedly unwilling to include the 2027 first-round pick for a Westbrook trade, which provided a glimpse into LA’s thinking moving forward.
NBA Insider Ramona Shelburne, on an episode of The Hoop Collective, had this to say on the LA Lakers’ trade decision this month and in the future:
At this stage in his career, the G.O.A.T candidate is all about winning a championship and eventually playing with his son, Bronny James. If the Lakers can’t do something about the mess James himself helped create, their franchise player could bolt for better options.
LeBron James is not ruling out a return to Cleveland
LeBron James tantalized the city of Cleveland yet again with a rather teasing interview with Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. The 18x All-Star spoke about possibly leaving the LA Lakers for another team, clearly sent a message to his current team’s head honchos.
If he has to leave for one reason or another, the Cleveland Cavaliers are one of the favorites for basketball and sentimental reasons.
While the four-time champion’s words may tantalize and excite the Wine and Gold Nation, the Lakers faithful should be worried about this latest development. Standing pat is no longer an option for the Los Angeles-based franchise unless they want to lose one of the greatest players to ever play the game.
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