LeBron James Gives Blunt Answer on Lakers’ Potential Trade Deadline Moves
As the great debate over the Los Angeles Lakers’ need for a significant change at the NBA trade deadline picks up steam, LeBron James had a simple statement that summed up his feelings when asked about the topic.
“I don’t play fantasy basketball,” James said, according to Ryan Ward of Lakers Nation.
The comment drew plenty of attention, but James expanded a bit beyond that, detailing how “disrespectful” it is to think about what the Lakers “need” or “don’t have.”
“What I do is focus on the guys that’s here and in this uniform and show up to work every day,” James said, per Ward. “It’s too disrespectful to be thinking about what we need or what we don’t have. I don’t do that to my teammates.”
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
“We’ve been putting in the work and that’s what we got to continue to do. We like the way we’ve been playing the last couple of games. We got to continue that Friday versus Brooklyn,” James concluded.
It’s unquestionably the “right” answer from James, who’s adopted this same approach of late while taking on a much-needed leadership role for the Lakers. And while numerous questions still linger around this Lakers team, they’ve at least managed to put together a few wins over the recent stretch of games, currently picking up back-to-back wins and emerging victorious in four of the last six games.
The Lakers have been linked to numerous names as the Feb. 8 trade deadline approaches. The initial popular name that’s swirled around the team is Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine, while Atlanta Hawks’ Dejounte Murray has been at the forefront of conversations recently.
Whether the Lakers will take a big swing and add a player like LaVine or Murray is the question on everyone’s mind currently. Still, one thing that feels certain is that it’s highly unlikely Rob Pelinka and company opt to stand pat entirely.
