Getty LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
It would appear that LeBron James has started to apply pressure to the Los Angeles Lakers front office, in the hope that they will pull the trigger and make a trade to improve their current roster.
Speaking on an episode of ‘The Shop’, LeBron used Aaron Rodgers’ current predicament with the Green Bay Packers to send a cryptic message to the Lakers front office, with both he and Rodgers struggling for success with their current teams.
“If you have a transcendent franchise player like Aaron Rodgers… Why wouldn’t you surround that, when you got the picks, to maximize what he can do?”
– LeBron (@KingJames)
“Are we still talking football or are we talking basketball?”
– Paul Rivera
“I would feel like it’s a discredit when you’ve got a transcendent franchise player like Aaron Rodgers…Why wouldn’t you surround that, when you got the picks, to maximize what he can do…I mean it definitely translates (to basketball),” LeBron said.
The Lakers currently sit second-from last in the Western Conference standings have won just three games to begin the season, and despite having to future first-round draft picks, have yet to make any moves to try and improve their teams’ chances of making the NBA playoffs.
Stephen A. Smith Blames LeBron for Lakers Struggles
As much as we can point the finger at Rob Pelinka for the Lakers’ roster construction, the truth is that LeBron also had a hand in picking the player personnel currently at Darvin Ham’s disposal – even if it was only the star-level talent.
During an October 24 episode of ESPN’s First Take, Stephen A. Smith made sure he shared his feelings on the Lakers’ current plight, ensuring that LeBron was also held accountable for the role he played in bringing stars to Los Angeles.
“To my brother, LeBron James. My brother, you are a brilliant brother, brilliant basketball player, brilliant mind…But don’t think you’re that damn smart, that you get to navigate this…talking about the media setting you up to get at Russell Westbrook, nah my brother, you did that.
Opening night, when you said ‘we’re not a team of shooters,’ you know good and well who everybody was going to look at. And you said it anyway. You’ve gotta own that, my brother. You’ve gotta own that. You cannot want to talk about Westbrook for the rest of the year, we’re all going to remember what you said on opening night, it’s just that simple,” Smith said.
Regardless of who constructed the Lakers roster, it’s time their front office began looking at ways to either improve the current core to contend around LeBron or begin the process of rebuilding and gathering assets. Because, right now, the Lakers are in NBA purgatory, and that’s the worst place you could possibly be.
Pelinka Previously Committed to Building a Contender
Rob Pelinka addressee the rumors of Lakers trades and trading draft picks this offseason. He said he will make a trade, including draft picks, to improve the team if it’s the right deal.
“Let me abundantly clear: We have one of the great players in LeBron James to ever play the game, on our team. He committed to us with a long-term contract, a three-year contract. So of course we will do everything we can, picks included, to make deals that give us a chance to help LeBron get to the end.
He committed to our organization, that’s gotta be a bilateral commitment. But let me be also clear, that you have to understand the CBA and the Stepien rule…You have one shot to make a trade with multiple picks. So if you make that trade, it has to be the right one, you have one shot to do it, so we’re being very thoughtful around the decisions on when and how to use draft capital in a way that will improve our roster,” Pelinka said.
Yet, it would seem that the Lakers’ slow start to the season has caused Pelinka to begin second-guessing whether it’s wise to commit to the final few years of LeBron’s career, or whether moving on from the superstar would be in both parties best interest. Unfortunately for Lakers fans, we might have to wait a little while longer before we find out what course of action Pelinka decides to take.