[WINDHORST]: Lakers May Need To Trade For LeBron This Summer

[OrangeBlueSkies]

The Los Angeles Lakers might have to trade for LeBron James this summer.

James has clearly been offended by Lakers' management twice over the past two weeks. First when it elected not to make a deal before the Feb. 10 trade deadline after he had both publicly and privately prodded for something. More accurately, he expected it. And second when Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka stepped over the line when he announced James was on board with the status quo; a source told ESPN there was no prior sign-off from James.




He has been hammering the team's knuckles with rounds of trademark passive-aggressive maneuvers since, both on social media and in news conferences. Then he went aggressive-aggressive during All-Star Weekend in an interview with The Athletic in which he dropped lighter fluid on a previously bubbling concept that he might make one last return to the Cleveland Cavaliers before he retires.


Same as he was doing last week, in the wake of the trade deadline inaction, when he spoke about how his recent knee injury would likely bother him the rest of the season. The knee surely is an issue, but James was also laying the groundwork to give himself options depending on how the rest of the season plays out for the Lakers (27-31). What James is doing is likely aimed at one primary goal: Force the Lakers into major action this summer. He tried to do it nicely and now he’s doing it harshly.

https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/insider/story/_/id/33338796/lebron-james-used-all-star-weekend-put-los-angeles-lakers-notice

Say what you want about Windhorst, he obviously has legit NBA sources & has been right on ALOT of NBA news over the years. This could be LeBron trying to get major changes but it's also LeBron at the tail end of his career... let his gr8ness compete...

[anotherhomer]

being traded to Cavs make a lot of sense.....

[Castle Black]

If Lebron requests it then yea sure. Which, given that this is being said by Windhorst who is Lebron’s mouth-piece, I’d assume Lebron might want this and would want to return to Cleveland.

[BeatDaCavs420]

Welp we all know Windy is one of Lebrons voice pieces at ESPN. So Lebron def is putting this out there

[OrangeBlueSkies]

being traded to Cavs make a lot of sense.....

yeah until Laker fans say "for Evan Mobley"

[GSWFan1994]

LeBron thinks he's a master 693D chess player & manipulator through "leaked" info and comments via the media and his cohorts (Klutch), but for me he's only a petulant child who runs away to greener pastures once his demands are not met and he senses a better opportunity somewhere else.

This is one of the main reasons LeBron will never be on the same pedestal as Jordan. It's as simple as that.

[jc23]

Welp we all know Windy is one of Lebrons voice pieces at ESPN. So Lebron def is putting this out there

everything that comes out of team lebron is purposeful. This dude is not retiring a laker, thats for sure.

But a trade would be a great outcome if your a laker fan, usually lebron just leaves, in this scenario they would get some nice young talent and picks back.

And lets be honest, he wants out for a multitude of reasons but #1 is the fact that AD is not the guy lebron hoped he would be.

[JPriest]

Article says trade for LeBron, not trade LeBron.

[Castle Black]

I don’t think he cares but yea running back to Cleveland would be bad optics. Basically a rinse & repeat cycle of what he’s been doing: going back and forth from CLE to different cities once better opportunities arise to win championships.

[Slim Charless]

Think it's way more likely they trade AD. With Lavine also being a Klutch client and AD being from Chicago that makes some sense. Especially if the Bulls don't really wanna pay Zach a supermax.

Sign and trade Lavine with Patrick Williams for AD....?

[Joshyjess]

What exactly did he want the Lakers to do? They have like ZERO tradeable assetts. Lebron put them in this situation, now he's crying about wanting them to fix his mess - which is next to impossible to do. I don't think there is a bigger diva in all of sports than Lebron. He cries and threatens to get what he wants, then he cries and threatens (or just leaves) when he doesn't like what he wanted in the first place.
It worked at first for him, but the older he gets, the worse his decisions are becoming, and the worse the mess he makes around him. If the Lakers were Smart, they would trade him now while his value is still high, and try to rebuild a team without having to worry about pleasing his highness.

[The Rebel]

Think it's way more likely they trade AD. With Lavine also being a Klutch client and AD being from Chicago that makes some sense. Especially if the Bulls don't really wanna pay Zach a supermax.

Sign and trade Lavine with Patrick Williams for AD....?

Why would the Bulls give up all that for Day to Davis? I don't think he has near as much trade value as you seem to think, between playing like crap since the championship and his injury struggles teams are not going to give up that much for him.

[TravisScott55]

Lebron went to LA to make movies, he isn't leaving.

[The Rebel]

I would not be surprised if Lebron forced his way off the Lakers, they have been cost cutting for the last couple of years and refused to trade future picks, which means they are no longer all in on Lebron. The issue is where can he go where they will bend over backwards to make him happy at this point?

[Lalouie]

being traded to Cavs make a lot of sense.....

yeah until Laker fans say "for Evan Mobley"

mobley leaving for the west coast is an inevitability,,,however it plays out
born there
grew up there
went to school there

[LivingLegend]

There is one sure fire way to piss off LeBron and that is hanging onto draft assets and not using them to improve this years team.

Its also why the Cavs were left with nothing the first time he left, its why he left Cleveland the 2nd time because they refused to trade away the 8th pick (Sexton) and now the Lakers are learning.

[infinite11285]

The Los Angeles Lakers might have to trade for LeBron James this summer.

James has clearly been offended by Lakers' management twice over the past two weeks. First when it elected not to make a deal before the Feb. 10 trade deadline after he had both publicly and privately prodded for something. More accurately, he expected it. And second when Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka stepped over the line when he announced James was on board with the status quo; a source told ESPN there was no prior sign-off from James.




He has been hammering the team's knuckles with rounds of trademark passive-aggressive maneuvers since, both on social media and in news conferences. Then he went aggressive-aggressive during All-Star Weekend in an interview with The Athletic in which he dropped lighter fluid on a previously bubbling concept that he might make one last return to the Cleveland Cavaliers before he retires.


Same as he was doing last week, in the wake of the trade deadline inaction, when he spoke about how his recent knee injury would likely bother him the rest of the season. The knee surely is an issue, but James was also laying the groundwork to give himself options depending on how the rest of the season plays out for the Lakers (27-31). What James is doing is likely aimed at one primary goal: Force the Lakers into major action this summer. He tried to do it nicely and now he’s doing it harshly.

https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/insider/story/_/id/33338796/lebron-james-used-all-star-weekend-put-los-angeles-lakers-notice

Say what you want about Windhorst, he obviously has legit NBA sources & has been right on ALOT of NBA news over the years. This could be LeBron trying to get major changes but it's also LeBron at the tail end of his career... let his gr8ness compete...

OP, the article states, "...trade FOR LeBron", which is contextually different than, "...trade LeBron".

Although Windy wrote it in the most confusing way possible, you all are free to discuss both sides of the spectrum; trading LeBron and making a trade to keep LeBron happy.

[Mickey8]

LBJ is the biggest rat in the game, when the ship is sinking he's the first to leave, time after time.

[celticfan42487]

Well it is LeBron, and it is LA. So they can have some tampering and have a star demand to be traded there (I always expect the day when Tatum makes this demand is coming).

So I guess that can happen, throw them some meaningless first rounders.

I don't think it makes sense for them to trade AD really, no one wins alone and they need star power they don't need more random pieces around LeBron.

[KazuoOda]

So sad for him.
But no Thank you on cavs trading any of our core for LBJ.