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Things aren’t going according to plan for the Los Angeles Lakers this season. The team is 16-16 right now and hasn’t been playing good basketball. With Anthony Davis injured and not looking like the MVP-level player he has in the past, it’s fair to question if this team is good enough to compete for a championship this season.
LeBron James turns 37 at the end of December so he’s not going to get many more chances at winning titles. In the past, he’s left situations that were going downhill. Despite his age, LeBron continues to be the Lakers’ best player and one of the best players in the NBA. He’s averaging 26.4 points a game with 6.6 rebounds and assists. He can still be one of the two best players on a championship team but he needs more help, and it remains to be seen if he’ll get that help in Los Angeles.
Surprisingly, the Cleveland Cavaliers have put together a good squad. They are the third seed in the Eastern Conference with a 19-12 record and have an exciting young roster. They aren’t serious championship contenders now but a player like LeBron could get them over the top. Former player and LeBron teammate Kendrick Perkins questioned if the superstar would request a trade to his former team.
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Hard to See LeBron Going Back to Cleveland
LeBron going back to Cleveland after leaving twice would be a serious plot twist that nobody could’ve seen coming. It’s an interesting idea as he clearly has a lot of love for the city. The fact that they’re playing better than the Lakers right now makes it even more interesting.
However, it’s not going to happen. LeBron is at the point of his career where he would like to stop moving around. He’s even said that he’d like to retire a Laker. Last season was rough and this season is off to a bad start but the Lakers roster has a higher ceiling than Cleveland’s. Plus, they’d have to trade a boatload to Los Angeles to get the superstar. A lot of that young talent would go to the Lakers and the roster wouldn’t be nearly as appealing to LeBron. As interesting as a possible deal sounds, it’s unlikely either team would have much interest in making it happen.
LeBron Doesn’t Believe Lakers Roster Can Be Fully Assessed
Another reason LeBron won’t jump the gun and request a trade is due to the fact that the Lakers haven’t been whole all season. There’ve dealt with multiple injuries all over the roster. LeBron knows and believes that it’s still unclear the ceiling of the roster.
“We don’t know,” LeBron said after the Lakers’ 108-88 loss to the Phoenix Suns. “We have no idea what this team can be.”
LeBron thinks this is a unique situation and isn’t ready to give a full assessment of the team yet.
“So how can we really fully assess what we have when we haven’t been whole? I can’t remember the last time we played the same starting lineup and had the same rotation coming off the bench,” LeBron said. “It’s been a long time. So, it’s hard to assess that.”
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