Getty LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers in action against the New York Knicks during their game at Madison Square Garden.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James deflected trade deadline questions with brief, concise answers following their 1124-118 win over the lottery-bound Charlotte Hornets on Monday, February 5, to conclude their annual “Grammy trip.”
“This is who we have, so there’s nothing else to talk about,” James told reporters when asked if they should continue investing in their current roster.
James’ answer was consistent in his passive-aggressive approach to the trade deadline which included posting an emoji of the Statue of Liberty and a King crown on X, formerly Twitter, to a pregame interview saying playing for the Knicks crossed his mind in 2010, and finally doing his postgame interview draped in a Knicks towel.
James just delivered 26 points and 7 assists in the narrow win against the lottery-bound Charlotte Hornets after scoring 24 at Madison Square Garden against the Knicks on February 3.
The Lakers have won 3 straight since their In-Season Tournament title run in early December.
LeBron James Points Finger at Lakers Front Office
A follow-up question if he believes their current roster is enough to win the championship, James offered a more thorough answer but still deflected and indirectly pointed to Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka as the right person to ask.
“It’s not a question for me,” James answered. “I love who we have in the locker room. And that’s all I worry about. I don’t get caught up in that [trade rumors].
We’re gonna go out and prepare ourselves every single night no matter what it is. No matter who’s out on this team. No matter what. So it’s my job and it’s [Anthony Davis’] job as the two captains to make sure we keep the main thing the main thing. The main focus is now: Thursday’s game at home. And look forward to that matchup.”
They might or might not have the same team when they face an acid test on Thursday, which is also the trade deadline, against the defending champion Denver Nuggets at home.
But it is increasingly likely the Lakers will stand pat, encouraged by their 4-2 road trip and winning 8 of their last 12 games to move 2 games above .500. Yet despite their recent strides, their 27-25 record remains outside the top-6 teams in the West.
D’Angelo Russell Doesn’t Care About Trade Rumors
D’Angelo Russell, who was the subject of endless trade rumors, had a more direct answer to the pestering trade deadline questions.
“I don’t care at all. Show up to work,” Russell told reporters after the win. “I can’t control that my contract makes sense to be traded either. So, I mean, just play. Can’t control that. Once again, I don’t care at all.”
The 27-year-old Russell has waived his no-trade clause when he signed the $36 million, two-year deal last summer, making him the perfect trade candidate for a potential Lakers’ roster upgrade.
“I just thought it made sense [to waive veto power],” Russell said. “Obviously, I’ve been here before. I played for the Lakers before, so I know what the requirements are to be successful here.”
But since his name was routinely mentioned in trade rumors, Russell has played the best stretch of his Lakers career, leaving everything on the floor and his fate at the hands of the management with less than 48 hours before Thursday’s trade deadline.
Since his return to the starting lineup on January 13, Russell averaged 24.0 points, 6.5 assists and 2.6 rebounds on 47/47/89 shooting split.
If he’s played his last game in Lakers uniform, he would go out with a bang after scoring 28 points on 10 of 21 shots with 6 assists, 4 rebounds and 1 steal.