Lakers Won't Consider Trading LeBron James If He Declines Extension Offer

[RealGM Wiretap]

If LeBron James decides against an extension with the Los Angeles Lakers in August when he becomes eligible, sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic that Jeanie Buss wouldn't see his desire to play out his contract as a reason to consider trading him.

James would be on a $47.1 million expiring contract should he decline the two-year, $97.1 million extension offer with the Lakers. 

James signed a two-year, $85 million extension with the Lakers in December 2020 shortly after winning The Finals.

Amick also reported last month that James is strongly considering playing out his contract to keep his options open for a 2023 free agency. 

Via Sam Amick/The Athletic

[druggas]

Trade him now and at least try and get some younger players.

[C64]

You see that right there? .....there's your problem.

[King4Day]

Lakers are smart. Let him break the scoring record in their uniform. They will never get enough of a return to warrant losing out on that moment.

[TheCage4]

The Lakers can't trade LeBron, because honestly, who would deal for him?

The amount of assets the receiving team would have to give up for 1-3 year of declining service (yes, I know, he's still great), would cripple any franchise once James retires/leaves.

[madmaxmedia]

Lakers are smart. Let him break the scoring record in their uniform. They will never get enough of a return to warrant losing out on that moment.

If there is a trade opportunity that works for all 3 parties, they will get more than enough. What is that moment worth to the team, if Lebron leaves after next season?

He’s still a great player, that’s not the problem. The problem is if he just plays out his remaining contract, there’s a good chance he leaves (not a given of course, don’t know what the front office opinion on that is.)

I guess they would have cap room to pursue one big FA to play alongside Anthony Davis, but the roster is so thin. If they got an expiring in return for Lebron along with a couple of young assets/draft picks, they would still have cap space next offseason but also start to fill out the roster again.

[madmaxmedia]

The Lakers can't trade LeBron, because honestly, who would deal for him?

The amount of assets the receiving team would have to give up for 1-3 year of declining service (yes, I know, he's still great), would cripple any franchise once James retires/leaves.

The ideal trade package for Lebron IMO is a big expiring, a 1st round pick, and a young player, and maybe another decent but replaceable role player. For the Lakers, they get a big head start towards rebuilding and maintain cap flexibility with the expiring. For the right trade partner, that trade could significantly improve them in the short term at a reasonable cost down the road. The Lakers would not get more than that (for the reasons you state), if that’s not worth it to them then of course they just don’t trade Lebron.

The Lakers #1 goal is of course to try to flip Westbrook somehow to make them a legitimate playoff team next year. If they can’t do that, then they have to forecast the offseason and what Lebron will do as a FA and decide now where they want to be in 2 years.

[mg]

The smart thing for the future of the franchise might be to trade AD/Lebron to try and recoup some assets.
With that said I don't expect them to deal their cashcow. Laker fans can revel in Lebron's accomplishments while the championship window is probably bolted closed with no young assets/picks on the horizon.

[tigerae]

The smart thing for the future of the franchise might be to trade AD/Lebron to try and recoup some assets.
With that said I don't expect them to deal their cashcow. Laker fans can revel in Lebron's accomplishments while the championship window is probably bolted closed with no young assets/picks on the horizon.

The Lakers got a championship out of it already, even if the team can not win another one, that's more than a lot of teams have won in their history. Some teams enjoy watching young players grow only to later leave to other teams and win championships there, the Lakers enjoy winning championships.

They have THT, Reaves, Nunn and Monk who have showed some promise, but young players generally don't win championships. It is superstar players in their prime that end up carrying their teams to the trophy.

On that note though, the Lakers front office have really mismanaged the roster the last two years. It will be hard to get out of it, but then again, it is the Lakers and they may end up pulling another Pau Gasol type trade. If not, LeBron should definitely look elsewhere to try to win another championship after is contract is over, maybe even demand a trade. Imo Pelinka and Rambis really screwed up the last two years. They belong no where near any front office job.

[Dennis 37]

So, they will trade him without considering the consequences?

[alienpick]

The smart thing for the future of the franchise might be to trade AD/Lebron to try and recoup some assets.
With that said I don't expect them to deal their cashcow. Laker fans can revel in Lebron's accomplishments while the championship window is probably bolted closed with no young assets/picks on the horizon.

They can trade AD for something actually useful. Westbrook can be moved for another bloated contract.. maybe John Wall would be better than Westbrick?

[LesGrossman]

So, they will trade him without considering the consequences?

Honestly...LeBron has openly chased his numbers, accumulated points in garbage time against 3rd rank g-league players, all the while refusing to play defense, often even to cross half court on the way back. He threw his whole team and franchise under the bus to chase his scoring title and only stopped when it became obvious and people started making fun of him.

Why are we still acting like he is a valuable player? He is not even remotely the player some guys make him out to be. Its crazy to the degree that i wonder wether those guys here re klutch paid influencers.

[davidavydave]

Trade Lebron and AD for picks and expiring deals and young prospects.
Stretch out Westbrook's contract and release him, if you can't trade him for another bloated contract that expires in a year.
Begin the rebuild process right now, so our future draft picks (starting from 2027) actually carry some weight/ trade value.
By that time, we'll be able to do what we usually do and again trade our future away for star power for immediate playoff relevancy.

But of course, none of this will happen. This is Hollywood. This is the purple and gold.
Lebron will stay, and become the all time scoring leader as the leading player for the Lakers.
We won't be winning, but that sells tickets.
The franchise would rather make money going down that route than rebuilding.
Can you imagine what ticket costs are gonna be when Lebron is a few points away from becoming the all time leader?
Can you imagine how many more Lebron Lakers jersey will be sold?

Since the Buss family has owned the Lakers, I cannot think of a single time the Lakers have successfully rebuilt their team from scratch through drafts. We simply buy or lure already star players from other teams. We'll never assemble a team through drafts like the Warriors did, or Boston or PHX (recently) , or Memphis (most recently).

[Johnny Bball]

Quite possibly the worst basketball decision ever.

[eureca20]

Trade Lebron and AD for picks and expiring deals and young prospects.
Stretch out Westbrook's contract and release him, if you can't trade him for another bloated contract that expires in a year.
Begin the rebuild process right now, so our future draft picks (starting from 2027) actually carry some weight/ trade value.
By that time, we'll be able to do what we usually do and again trade our future away for star power for immediate playoff relevancy.

That part makes zero sense. Why would you go into a rebuild and stretch out a bad contract for multiple years and hurt your future cap space?

Starting a rebuild when you don't own your 1st rounder for a few years is debatable. Obviously it's dependent on what you are getting back. You are only really getting anything good for AD. Lebron is 38 next season and expiring. If he doesn't want to be somewhere you aren't getting value from that team.

Pelicans own a pick swap next season(2023) with the Lakers. And then own the Lakers 2024 pick. If they want they can delay that pick to 2025. After next season is probably more of a chance of a rebuilding starting. You at least have a chance of getting your 1st rounder depending if the Pelicans want to wait. And you hope to get AD's trade value higher than it is now before you trade him. Trading him this offseason is selling low after an injured season. Lebron may leave for nothing, but again I don't think there is much value in a trade there.

[Dennis 37]

So, they will trade him without considering the consequences?

Honestly...LeBron has openly chased his numbers, accumulated points in garbage time against 3rd rank g-league players, all the while refusing to play defense, often even to cross half court on the way back. He threw his whole team and franchise under the bus to chase his scoring title and only stopped when it became obvious and people started making fun of him.

Why are we still acting like he is a valuable player? He is not even remotely the player some guys make him out to be. Its crazy to the degree that i wonder wether those guys here re klutch paid influencers.

Mine was a joke. Rather than consider trading LeBron, they will trade LeBron without thinking about it at all.

[teco1497]

So, they will trade him without considering the consequences?

Honestly...LeBron has openly chased his numbers, accumulated points in garbage time against 3rd rank g-league players, all the while refusing to play defense, often even to cross half court on the way back. He threw his whole team and franchise under the bus to chase his scoring title and only stopped when it became obvious and people started making fun of him.

Why are we still acting like he is a valuable player? He is not even remotely the player some guys make him out to be. Its crazy to the degree that i wonder wether those guys here re klutch paid influencers.

Mine was a joke. Rather than consider trading LeBron, they will trade LeBron without thinking about it at all.

nobody can trade LeBron until he wants it, period.