Lakers: NBA Insider Condemns Idea of LA Trading LeBron James This Summer
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The idea of the Lakers potentially trading LeBron James was rekindled last week by yet another rant by Stephen A. Smith. Smith suggested that LeBron is the only player currently on the roster that holds significant trade value.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst, who might know LeBron James better than anyone, strongly pushed back on the Smith's notion that LA should explore trading James based on Windhorst's sense that LeBron is committed to staying in LA.
"But I think there are two things that I have to say that are very important here. The first is that LeBron wants to be a Laker. ... He still believes he can take the Lakers to heights, he wants to be a Laker."
Windhorst continued to explain that LeBron himself, not the Lakers front office, will be the one to initiate a trade. He is after all, The King.
"The second thing is that... what team could want to trade for LeBron? LeBron isn't getting traded to a team unless LeBron deems it so. I know he is under contract, he doesn't have a no trade clause and they could trade him anywhere and by the terms of his contract he could have to go, but you can't do that to a player of his stature and his status."
The Lakers don't have a ton of options when it comes to seismically shifting their roster. League executives believe that Anthony Davis' trade value is significantly diminished after another injury plagued season. Once Russell Westbrook opts into the final year of his contract, he'll be a $47M guard whose best days are behind him.
General manager Rob Pelinka and senior basketball adviser Kurt Rambis will undoubtedly shop Westbrook this offseason, but that could involve the Lakers expending the remnants of their draft capital. Trading Anthony Davis, who's arguably a top ten player when healthy, feels like a jumping-the-shark type of maneuver .
From what it sounds like, trading LeBron is not an option, nor should it be.
