LeBron James' Teams Have Combined To Trade 23 Future First Round Picks

[RealGM Wiretap]

Throughout the career of LeBron James, his teams have rarely had first round picks to add to their roster around him. The Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers have combined to trade away 23 total future first round picks during his tenures with those teams, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks and Dave McMenamin.

When James was with the Cavaliers at the start of his career, Luke Jackson, Shannon Brown and J.J. Hickson were the only first rounders added. When James returned to the Lakers in 2015, no first round picks were added during his tenure.

While with the Heat, no first round picks were added as well.

Since joining the Lakers, Jalen Hood-Schifino has been the only first rounder added to the roster.

Via RealGM Staff Report

[wegotthabeet]

This is the biggest knock on Lebron in my opinion. It’s not so much jumping from opportune situations but more his team building philosophy.

Instead of building with a long term vision and having a consistent influx of young talent as he ages he pushed his teams to trade for yesterday’s stars. Wade, Love and AD had all pretty much peaked by the time they teamed up. I guess it doesn’t matter if you are only planning on being there for four years anyways.

[alienpick]

This is the biggest knock on Lebron in my opinion. It’s not so much jumping from opportune situations but more his team building philosophy.

Instead of building with a long term vision and having a consistent influx of young talent as he ages he pushed his teams to trade for yesterday’s stars. Wade, Love and AD had all pretty much peaked by the time they teamed up. I guess it doesn’t matter if you are only planning on being there for four years anyways.

It's not really a knock. Every team wants to win the championship. You build a long run team for that reason. Once you get Lebron, you are instantly in the championship picture, multiple championship picture. All of those first round picks are traded for win-now players which can be offloaded if a rebuild comes along. (Unless you are dumb like the Cavs and sign them to long term deals when Lebron leaves).

[Dennis 37]

Indeed, he burns through a team's potential and then say,"I'm outta here "

Kobe, on the other hand, stayed and played through losing seasons.

[Beethoven]

It isn't a knock on him but quite the opposite in terms of incidental facts about players.

It wouldn't make any sense for a player of his impactfulness and greatness was never traded for anything more than peanuts, or if teams never had to sacrifice anything to get him on their team.


It's like saying you're one of the top lawyers in the country to be hired to take on a huge case but only to receive minimum wage.

[TimeisIllmatic]

Yeah that's the downside but fortunately the Lakers got a ring out of it.

[dc]

Indeed, he burns through a team's potential and then say,"I'm outta here "

Kobe, on the other hand, stayed and played through losing seasons.

Remember, Kobe was unhappy with the team around 06/07 and would've been shipped to Chicago but the Lakers wanted Deng in the trade and the Bulls (and presumably Kobe because he didn't want to go to a team stripped of assets) refused.

Eventually he stayed and that's when it helps to be the Lakers. They basically said to Kobe "Hey, we're the Lakers. We've won before you were here and we'll win again after you're done. It's a bigger honor for you to play for us than it is for us to have you here."

Not every franchise holds that kind of sway.

[scrabbarista]

4 First Rounders in 20 years seems bad.

[Dennis 37]

Indeed, he burns through a team's potential and then say,"I'm outta here "

Kobe, on the other hand, stayed and played through losing seasons.

Remember, Kobe was unhappy with the team around 06/07 and would've been shipped to Chicago but the Lakers wanted Deng in the trade and the Bulls (and presumably Kobe because he didn't want to go to a team stripped of assets) refused.

Eventually he stayed and that's when it helps to be the Lakers. They basically said to Kobe "Hey, we're the Lakers. We've won before you were here and we'll win again after you're done. It's a bigger honor for you to play for us than it is for us to have you here."

Not every franchise holds that kind of sway.

Yet they didn't have the guts to say the same to LeBron. They gave up a heck of a lot to get AD. Lakers should have told him to be patient. The bubble championship impresses no one.

[dc]

Yet they didn't have the guts to say the same to LeBron. They gave up a heck of a lot to get AD. Lakers should have told him to be patient. The bubble championship impresses no one.

Lakers traded for AD when he was 26/27 and just entering his prime, not like the Celts or Suns trading for much older versions of KG/KD. The only guys who matter on the Pels side are Ingram and Herb Jones. We have to see what the 2025 pick looks like and then that trade is done.

If the Lakers didn't win that championship, someone else would have and the fanbase of that team wouldn't be downplaying it. It's not as if teams who refused to play the bubble. Teams showed up and played.

[wegotthabeet]

This is the biggest knock on Lebron in my opinion. It’s not so much jumping from opportune situations but more his team building philosophy.

Instead of building with a long term vision and having a consistent influx of young talent as he ages he pushed his teams to trade for yesterday’s stars. Wade, Love and AD had all pretty much peaked by the time they teamed up. I guess it doesn’t matter if you are only planning on being there for four years anyways.

It's not really a knock. Every team wants to win the championship. You build a long run team for that reason. Once you get Lebron, you are instantly in the championship picture, multiple championship picture. All of those first round picks are traded for win-now players which can be offloaded if a rebuild comes along. (Unless you are dumb like the Cavs and sign them to long term deals when Lebron leaves).

it's bad asset management. for Cleveland it didn't matter because they were pretty **** at drafting the 4 years he was gone. imagine they had drafted Kyrie, Kawhi, Lillard, Oladipo, Embiid. Lebron comes back and he's like ship these guys out for immediate help. why not just tell him no?

i'd prefer the slow build and have these great young players around me as i started to age out. but of course that's assuming he had the intension of sticking around long term. his longterm plan was to dip again to another team fully loaded with assets he could then rinse and repeat the same process. the first time he left understandable, even returning was understandable, but the third time with LA you start to lose a little respect in my eyes.

[napdash]

Indeed, he burns through a team's potential and then say,"I'm outta here "

Kobe, on the other hand, stayed and played through losing seasons.

I don't know if you watched, but Kobe was a HUGE reason for those losing seasons

[AEnigma]

How many all-star appearances were generated from those draft picks?

Love to see all this pearl-clutching over Dyson Daniels, Furkan Korkmaz, Caleb Swanigan, Mo Wagner, and I guess Andrew Wiggins.

[Bergmaniac]

So basically teams which were contenders thanks to having the best player in the league made win now moves. Where is the story here?

[alienpick]

This is the biggest knock on Lebron in my opinion. It’s not so much jumping from opportune situations but more his team building philosophy.

Instead of building with a long term vision and having a consistent influx of young talent as he ages he pushed his teams to trade for yesterday’s stars. Wade, Love and AD had all pretty much peaked by the time they teamed up. I guess it doesn’t matter if you are only planning on being there for four years anyways.

It's not really a knock. Every team wants to win the championship. You build a long run team for that reason. Once you get Lebron, you are instantly in the championship picture, multiple championship picture. All of those first round picks are traded for win-now players which can be offloaded if a rebuild comes along. (Unless you are dumb like the Cavs and sign them to long term deals when Lebron leaves).

it's bad asset management. for Cleveland it didn't matter because they were pretty **** at drafting the 4 years he was gone. imagine they had drafted Kyrie, Kawhi, Lillard, Oladipo, Embiid. Lebron comes back and he's like ship these guys out for immediate help. why not just tell him no?

i'd prefer the slow build and have these great young players around me as i started to age out. but of course that's assuming he had the intension of sticking around long term. his longterm plan was to dip again to another team fully loaded with assets he could then rinse and repeat the same process. the first time he left understandable, even returning was understandable, but the third time with LA you start to lose a little respect in my eyes.

and if my mother had wheels.. she'd be a bike.

Your scenario is so hyper unique it borders on ridiculous. Of course you run that squad with Lebron. Lebron would agree and would have salivated over being on that squad. He probably wouldn't have left to LA either.

In REALITY they had Kyrie, Wiggins, and Anthony Bennet, and of course you move Bennet. I personally didn't like the Wiggins for Love swap, but Wiggins was pointless to have on a team with Lebron as the SF. I think they could have got better than Kevin Love, but .. well it worked out.

[wegotthabeet]

It's not really a knock. Every team wants to win the championship. You build a long run team for that reason. Once you get Lebron, you are instantly in the championship picture, multiple championship picture. All of those first round picks are traded for win-now players which can be offloaded if a rebuild comes along. (Unless you are dumb like the Cavs and sign them to long term deals when Lebron leaves).

it's bad asset management. for Cleveland it didn't matter because they were pretty **** at drafting the 4 years he was gone. imagine they had drafted Kyrie, Kawhi, Lillard, Oladipo, Embiid. Lebron comes back and he's like ship these guys out for immediate help. why not just tell him no?

i'd prefer the slow build and have these great young players around me as i started to age out. but of course that's assuming he had the intension of sticking around long term. his longterm plan was to dip again to another team fully loaded with assets he could then rinse and repeat the same process. the first time he left understandable, even returning was understandable, but the third time with LA you start to lose a little respect in my eyes.

and if my mother had wheels.. she'd be a bike.

Your scenario is so hyper unique it borders on ridiculous. Of course you run that squad with Lebron. Lebron would agree and would have salivated over being on that squad. He probably wouldn't have left to LA either.

In REALITY they had Kyrie, Wiggins, and Anthony Bennet, and of course you move Bennet. I personally didn't like the Wiggins for Love swap, but Wiggins was pointless to have on a team with Lebron as the SF. I think they could have got better than Kevin Love, but .. well it worked out.

my point is even if they had drafted those guys over Thompson, Waiters, Wiggins or Bennet they still would have traded them for "win now" pieces and that it's a dumb way to run a franchise. teams should never let players dictate personnel moves. ever.

Cleveland would have traded Embiid + Oladipo for Love just as quickly because that was Lebron's request. the fact that they were **** at drafting isn't relevant at all.

[haste10176]

it's bad asset management. for Cleveland it didn't matter because they were pretty **** at drafting the 4 years he was gone. imagine they had drafted Kyrie, Kawhi, Lillard, Oladipo, Embiid. Lebron comes back and he's like ship these guys out for immediate help. why not just tell him no?

i'd prefer the slow build and have these great young players around me as i started to age out. but of course that's assuming he had the intension of sticking around long term. his longterm plan was to dip again to another team fully loaded with assets he could then rinse and repeat the same process. the first time he left understandable, even returning was understandable, but the third time with LA you start to lose a little respect in my eyes.

and if my mother had wheels.. she'd be a bike.

Your scenario is so hyper unique it borders on ridiculous. Of course you run that squad with Lebron. Lebron would agree and would have salivated over being on that squad. He probably wouldn't have left to LA either.

In REALITY they had Kyrie, Wiggins, and Anthony Bennet, and of course you move Bennet. I personally didn't like the Wiggins for Love swap, but Wiggins was pointless to have on a team with Lebron as the SF. I think they could have got better than Kevin Love, but .. well it worked out.

my point is even if they had drafted those guys over Thompson, Waiters, Wiggins or Bennet they still would have traded them for "win now" pieces and that it's a dumb way to run a franchise. teams should never let players dictate personnel moves. ever.

Cleveland would have traded Embiid + Oladipo for Love just as quickly because that was Lebron's request. the fact that they were **** at drafting isn't relevant at all.

He never asked Kyrie to be traded.. So its not even correct and Wiggins was good one year finally in GSW lol so the trade for love was good and bennet was terrible... I am still waiting for one of those picks traded to be a star put of 21 they should put the names next to the picks.. Is wiggins the best for love?

[ChipotleWest]

"When James returned to the Lakers in 2015"

*confused*

[DimesandKnicks]

Indeed, he burns through a team's potential and then say,"I'm outta here "

Kobe, on the other hand, stayed and played through losing seasons.

After winning three championships with one of the most winning organizations in NBA history.

He also requested a trade when they started loosing; something Lebron never did.