Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James is in an odd position: cropping up in NBA trade rumors.
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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James is in an odd position: cropping up in NBA trade rumors.
Well, we are less than two weeks away from the February 5 deadline, which means the NBA trade rumors are heating up in earnest. But despite a bevy of names drawing buzz, there is still a sense that this could be a down year for the deadline, especially in relation to last year–when Luka Doncic, Anthony Davis, De’Aaron Fox and Jimmy Butler were dealt, as well as Tier 2 players like Zach LaVine, DeAndre Hunter and Brandon Ingram.
There is still a chance that the big names that have been bandying about the market will be traded in the next two weeks. But it’s a longshot. Most likely, Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and Ja Morant of the Grizzlies will not be moved until the offseason. The Knicks‘ Karl-Anthony Towns probably isn’t going anywhere either.
In Golden State, where Jimmy Butler tore his ACL, there are no plans to use Butler’s contract as a trade asset, while the hunt for a Jonathan Kuminga deal will probably have to wait another 10 days or so.
Things do change, but that’s where those names stand. Let’s get into the rest of the league.
LeBron James Trade? Well .. Maybe?
So what about LeBron James of the Lakers? In 23 seasons, he’s never exactly been a staple of NBA trade rumors.
This was a tumultuous week in Lakerland as ESPN did a bombshell report on the team and its last days with the Buss family as owners, which included much mutual unhappiness from James and the brass with L.A. But it is important to remember, the report is a symptom of what’s been wrong in Los Angeles, not a cause.
Still, James went to the Lakers in 2018 determined to retire in L.A. as he simultaneously built his entertainment empire. That plan might have shifted–not because of the ESPN report, of course, but because of the dissatisfaction on both sides that the report detailed. Whispers that James is willing to leave Los Angeles have only grown.
It raises the question: If the Lakers want to move on from LeBron James, is now the time to trade him?
“It would be the perfect time to trade him in a normal situation, but it’s the Lakers and LeBron so it is not normal,” one NBA executive said. “There are only two or three teams the Lakers would even talk to about trading LeBron–Cleveland, maybe Golden State–so no one will really know it until it happens. You can’t rule it out.”
NBA Trade Rumors: Trey Murphy on or Off?
As for another Lakers (and Warriors, among others) target, and a favorite of the NBA trade rumor mill, Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III, speculation has long held that after declining to talk about trades for Murphy (or Herb Jones, the other top New Orleans target), the Pelicans would entertain talks once the deadline gets closer.
At this point, that has not necessarily happened. Teams are still calling the Pelicans about bother players (Zion Williamson, to, but to a lesser extent) and the Pelicans are not proceeding on further talks. But with two weeks still to go, the Lakers and others know there’s plenty of time for the Pelicans to relent.
One major reason: After a five-game winning streak in mid-December, the Pelicans have now lost 14 of their last 16. If there are two first-round picks to be had for Murphy, or one for Jones, New Orleans could relent and push its rebuild forward.
Trey Murphy III #25 of the New Orleans Pelicans
GettyTrey Murphy III #25 of the New Orleans Pelicans
Miles Bridges a ‘Toxic’ Asset in NBA Trade Rumors
Would the Lakers trade for Miles Bridges of the Hornets? That’s been on the mill. Would anybody (the Bucks)?
Bridges (a LeBron James friend) remains a solid, versatile wing player who can score and rebound even though he struggles with his shooting, and has a manageable contract, at $25 million this season and $22.8 million for next. But he also has the four-year-old charges that were brought against him for domestic violence, charges that yielded a 30-game suspension even though the legal case was later dropped.
In the relatively obscured media market around Charlotte, Bridges has been able to get back to his NBA career without an enormous outcry. But a trade that sends him to the Lakers or Warriors or perhaps just about anywhere could force the charges to become an issue again.
“You can decide if you want him as a player, but there are places where it is just not going to be pretty if you trade him there,” the executive said. “He is still too toxic for a lot of places. Your owner is probably going to need to be convinced there won’t be backlash and that he has fully apologized, all of that. You’ve got to be ready for a lot of negative PR, and that is a factor in anyone making a trade for him.”
The executive pointed out that the Dodgers, who were owned in part by new Lakers owner Mark Walter, did not bring back pitcher Trevor Bauer after domestic violence accusations, even after those charges were dropped. Bridges to the Lakers, then, could be a tough sell.
Miles Bridges #0 of the Charlotte Hornets
GettyMiles Bridges #0 of the Charlotte Hornets
Everyone Loves Bobby Portis
Another league executive pointed out that one Bucks player who would be popular at the deadline will be … tough, versatile big man Bobby Portis. Not so much Antetokounmpo.
Said the exec: “I don’t think there is a team in the league that couldn’t use a guy like Bobby Portis. The contract is good. He’s a veteran. The performance has been there, he is shooting lights out. He has mellowed out as he has gotten older but he still has a little bit of fire and edge that you like, every team needs.
“The guy is being wasted this year with that team. And he is a guy who you have a realistic chance of making a deal for.”