Getty LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Much of the trade speculation involving the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason has been surrounding Russell Westbrook. With no obvious trade in sight, the team might have to think about alternative options. One option would be for the Lakers to move on from LeBron James.
He’s still the team’s best player and appears to like being in Los Angeles. However, he’s going to be 38 next season and has dealt with more and more injuries every season. Perhaps the Lakers could try to trade him while he still has value. Sean Deveney of Heavy.com spoke to an Eastern Conference executive who believes that the Clippers could make sense as a trade destination for LeBron.
“If LeBron wants to stay in L.A. they could swap him out for the Clippers. Remember, he met with the Clippers way back in 2010 when he was a free agent and a lot has changed, the Clippers are a different organization now,” the executive told Deveney. “But if you swapped Paul George for LeBron, and you added one of their young guys, Brandon Boston is a guy a lot of people like, you know, that would be an earthquake kind of deal but it is interesting on both sides.”
ALL the latest Los Angeles Lakers news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Lakers newsletter here!
Would LeBron Want to Play for Clippers?
While LeBron doesn’t have a no-trade clause on his contract, he’s not going to get traded to a team unless he wants to play for them. The Clippers would give him the opportunity to stay in Los Angeles, play for a contender and get coached by a man he respects in Ty Lue, who he has already won a championship with.
However, it doesn’t appear he has any desire to play for the Clippers, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe.
“I actually have floated this to some people who might know, would LeBron ever go to the Clippers?” Lowe said on “The Lowe Post” podcast. “And the answer was, ‘hard no, hard no.’”
Obviously, feelings can always change or Lowe could’ve been fed bad information but he’s one of the most well-connected insiders in the industry so it’s likely that LeBron doesn’t want to play for the Clippers.
Lakers Don’t Want to Trade LeBron
If the Lakers can’t figure out a way to fix their roster and get back into title contention, any and every move should be on the table, including trading LeBron. So far, there’s no indication that they have an interest in trading him. According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, team owner Jeanie Buss wouldn’t want to trade LeBron even if he didn’t sign a new contract this offseason.
The Lakers like to take care of their superstars and LeBron did help deliver a championship to the team. They won’t be so quick to throw him away after one bad season where he played like one of the best players on the planet. The only way the Lakers would realistically consider trading him is if he said that’s what he wanted.
READ NEXT: Former NBA 3-Point Champion Named ‘Top Trade’ Target for Lakers
Comments
Lakers Could Swap LeBron James for Rival 7-Time All-Star in ‘Earthquake’ Deal