It has been an up-and-down season for the Los Angeles Lakers thus far. They are sitting with a 13-11 record, dropping seven of their last 10 games.
Even though they replaced Darvin Ham with JJ Redick, the same problems persist on the team. Los Angeles needs another star player alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis if they want to be serious championship contenders.
Unfortunately, general manager Rob Pelinka didn't make any moves this season and brought back the same roster from last year. And to the surprise of no one, the team is making the same mistakes they did a year ago.
That sparked trade speculation around James amid the Lakers' shaky start.
Rival Teams Wonder If LeBron James Would Be Open To A Trade https://t.co/AdU7vye6mn
— RealGM (@RealGM) December 9, 2024
Despite playing in his 22nd NBA season, James is still playing at a high level, which has led to teams contacting Los Angeles to see if he can be moved.
ESPN's NBA insider Brian Windhorst spoke about that and revealed teams are gauging James' interest in moving on.
"I would be lying if I said that there haven’t been some conversations in the league (around), 'Would LeBron at some point this year revisit that? Because you remember last year at the trade deadline, the Warriors called. Twice in the last 10 months, LeBron has had an opportunity to leave the Lakers. One, at the trade deadline last year when the Warriors called. The Lakers went to LeBron and said, ‘Do you seriously want to get traded?’ He said, 'No.' Last summer he became a free agent. He re-signed with the Lakers."
- Brian Windhorst
Last year, there were a bunch of rumors that the Golden State Warriors wanted to acquire James but that didn't get anywhere, as James shut it down. He then re-signed with the Lakers this summer.
As of right now, the 39-year-old wants to stay with the Purple and Gold, but who knows if things can change. He's currently fourth in the NBA in assists (9.1) with 23 points and eight rebounds per game.
James can still play at an elite level and if he wants another chance at winning a championship, that may have to come outside of Los Angeles. Things are always fluid and could change at the drop of a dime.
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