Getty LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives against Bobby Portis #5 of the Washington Wizards.
Anthony Davis wasn’t the only NBA All Star on the Denver Nuggets’ radar at the NBA’s trade deadline.
So was the Los Angles Lakers’ LeBron James.
A few days ago, Stephen A Smith revealed on television that people close to Los Angeles Lakers majority owner, Jeanie Buss are “imploring her to trade LeBron James.”
As I reported via Basketball Society:
Los Angeles Lakers ownership had questions about Lakers President of Basketball Operations, Magic Johnson and Rich Paul’s Klutch Agency in their pursuit of Anthony Davis.
LeBron James to the Denver Nuggets is not so outlandish either because LeBron James actually has a personal relationship with the teams president, Josh Kroenke.
While the Philadelphia 76ers and Houston Rockets were heavily discussed as a preference by James, before James ultimately chose LA, during NBA free agency this past summer, the Nuggets sought to lure James.
James said Josh Kroenke, the vice chairman of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, whose mother technically owns the Nuggets and whose father owns the Los Angeles Rams, broached the subject with him.“He sent those throwback jerseys, I think they’re wearing them tonight,” James said after the Lakers’ morning shoot-around Tuesday. “The white ones? With the mountains, I believe, that’s on it. Said you’d look good in one of these. But we’ve been on vacation, things of that nature, we have a great friendship. But I didn’t give it much thought.”James met with Magic Johnson, Lakers president of basketball operations, as soon as league rules allowed at 9 p.m. Pacific Time on June 30. He agreed to a four-year deal with the Lakers in the evening on July 1.A lot has changed since then.A LeBron James groin injury was a huge hurdle.
A lot has changed since then. A LeBron James groin injury was a huge hurdle.
Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James injury is more complex than what has been initially reported, I’m told.
Per Lakers source: “LeBron could ‘rush back’ and return at the end of January. But he could very well be out until the end of February, or even longer.”
“It was the most serious injury of LeBron’s career,” ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne told me on the Scoop B Radio Podcast.
“So that’s the start there, and for him not to be on the court, he’s not able to influence anything.”
The Lakers currently lack a head coach.
Jason Kidd and Juwan Howard are pretty high on LA’s list, currently.
Luke Walton gone in LA? If Walton were fired, Mark Jackson is a likely candidate. So is Jason Kidd. I asked a credible league source this afternoon whether they thought Kidd would be a good fit.
They told me: “it would be great” and “anything is possible.”
The team also doesn’t have a President of Basketball Operations. Magic Johnson abruptly stepped down as the team’s President last month at a press conference.
On his latest episode of his HBO Special, “The Shop,” LeBron James discussed his displeasure with Magic Johnson stepping down from his post as President of Basketball Operations of the Los Angeles Lakers.
So this is how @KingJames & @ZO2_ found out about Magic stepping down 😲 #TheShopHBO 💈
“I found out from Randy [Mims],” said James.
“During my stretching session, my right hand [man] says to me: ‘Magic just stepped down.’ And I’m like: Man get the f*** out my face you’re bulls****ing. I go and check my phone, I look at it, the shit happened.”Personally for me, I came here to be apart of the Lakers organization, having a conversation with Magic. So it was just weird for him to just be like: ‘I’m outta here,’ and not even have no like: ‘Hey ‘Bron, kiss my ass, I’m gone.’ It wasn’t even The Lakers will enter this summer looking to make a splash in NBA Free Agency.
The team purposely filled their roster with one-year contracts to maintain their salary cap flexibility for the summer of 2019 where several NBA superstars like Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson, Jimmy Butler, Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, DeMarcus Cousins, and DeAndre Jordan are expected to become unrestricted free agents.