Lakers Trade Scenario Sends LeBron James to Shocking California Rival

The Los Angeles Lakers are mired in what's looking like another middling season in the early offing, as a "source close to the situation" relays to Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com. Los Angeles is 13-11 on the year, under new head coach J.J. Redick, and the Western Conference's No. 8 seed. As Bulpett writes, the Lakers were 14-10 across their first 24 games under now-former head coach Darvin Ham en route to a 47-35 finish, 10-14 under Ham in 2022-23 ahead of a 43-39 record, and a surprisingly decent 12-12 start during their last season with Frank Vogel, which eventually collapsed with a 33-49 record.

"LeBron’s almost 40, man, c’mon. He can still do great things because he’s freakin’ LeBron," the source told Bulpett. "But in terms of getting that team to be good consistently for a period of years — a contender — it’s not going to happen with how it’s set up now. They took their shot these last couple of years, and it didn’t work. They have to be honest. Two stars weren’t enough with what they had around them. It wasn’t a coaching thing. It almost never is.”

James has teamed up with his son, 20-year-old former USC Trojans point guard Bronny James, in a history-making turn this year. They became the first-ever father-son duo to suit up alongside each other in an NBA game during L.A.'s season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 22. Bronny now mostly suits up for L.A.'s G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers.

“Now that LeBron has had his chance to play with Bronny and have that be a part of his legacy, he has to assess this team,” the source added. “I think he’s finding that team wanting, which makes a lot of people around the league think he might finally be open to a trade to play somewhere else that’s championship level."

There have been overtures from the Golden State Warriors once again this season, as the team looks to capitalize on 36-year-old All-NBA point guard Stephen Curry's last years of greatness.

“The question is, how can you make that trade?" the source notes. "There’s only a few teams where his delivery brings them from the second plateau to the top, but it’s hard, if not impossible, for teams like that to take his contract.”

Here's where things got interesting. The source pitched a surprising squad, the 12-13 Sacramento Kings, as an intriguing potential landing spot for James in a trade.

“The one place that I don’t hear a lot of talk about with LeBron is Sacramento,” the source submitted. “He could change them, and they might have the kind assets to make a trade work. They have a lot of young talent, and because they’re a small market, they haven’t spent like drunken sailors. They have some draft picks a young talent. If they could get to the salary, LeBron would take (De’Aron) Fox and (Domantas) Sabonis and elevate the hell out of them — particularly Fox. With that threesome, those guys could be a force.”

Note that the source does not mention six-time All-Star swingman DeMar DeRozan, who plays James' position and whose new $23.4 million contract this year would likely be needed to make a deal work.

Would 20-time All-Star James be amenable to this move? He's a more modern player than DeRozan, who lacks a consistent volume 3-point shot, although at this stage the 39-year-old James is far more injury-prone. James no longer plays much defense during the regular season, a problem for a Kings team that ranks fairly middle-of-the-pack on that end of the floor (their 113.3 defensive rating is 13th-best in the league).

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