Getty Lakers star LeBron James.
There is no sign that LeBron James wants to leave the Los Angeles Lakers, but that has not stopped speculation that he would.
On the February 10 episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor pondered whether James would ask out of L.A. if the Lakers, who are 27-31 and in ninth place in the Western Conference, can’t rebuild the team into a contender for an NBA title.
“Is there an alternate universe somewhere where LeBron James woke up this morning and demanded a trade?” O’Connor asked.
Given his age, time is running out for James, 37, to win a fifth championship to add to his legendary resume. He is slated to enter the final year of his current $85.6 million contract in 2022-23 and is eligible to sign an extension this offseason. Rumors about James’ future likely will heat up if the superstar does not sign an extension this summer.
On the podcast, Simmons discussed the “perfect” trade for James with O’Connor, Chris Ryan and Wosny Lambre.
“What if Brooklyn called and said, ‘We’ll give you Kyrie and the two first-round picks we’ve gotten for LeBron?'” Simmons asked.
Irving, who will turn 30 on March 23, would bring the Lakers a new set of complications given his status as an unvaccinated player. O’Connor wondered whether Ben Simmons, whom the Nets acquired from the Philadelphia 76ers for James Harden on February 10, would be more appealing to the Lakers.
“What if the Nets just said, ‘We’ll flip you, Ben Simmons,’?” O’Connor said. “And what if they call a couple minutes before the deadline, they call [Laker general manager Rob] Pelinka. ‘We’ll give you Ben Simmons and two firsts for LeBron James’?”
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LeBron Open to Pursuing Non-Lakers Options to Play With Son Bronny: Report
There is one wildcard that could prompt James to eventually leave the Lakers. The NBA legend has been open about his desire to play with his oldest son, Bronny James. ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst told Maxim’s Chris Sheridan that James would likely consider leaving the Lakers if it meant teaming up with his son, who is 17 and stars for Sierra Canyon, a school in Los Angeles.
“LeBron likes L.A., he likes raising his family in L.A., and his post-career businesses are in L.A.,” Windhorst noted for the February 3 Maxim feature. “But he’s made it very clear that he wants to play with his son. If that situation is available outside L.A., he’ll pursue it.”
Under the current NBA rules, the soonest James could share the court with his son is in 2024. There is also the chance the Lakers could make a move to bring Bronny James to Los Angeles via the draft.
The chances of the Lakers trading James on their own accord are admittedly slim. Yet, if the team does not start finding success next season, the Lakers will be facing an aging roster, with the team’s only two stars being James and Anthony Davis. The soonest the Lakers would be able to consider potential deals is the offseason, given that the trade deadline passed on February 10.
Irving Would Retire If Traded by the Nets: Report
Like James, Irving will enter the final year of his contract next season. The Nets guard has a $36.5 million salary for the 2022-23 season. Fox Sports’ Nick Wright reported on September 15, 2021, that Irving’s agents have “made it known” that the guard would retire if traded by the Nets.
“Some NBA news: There are a handful of Kyrie trades that potentially make sense for the Nets, Kyrie’s agents have made it known that Kyrie would simply *retire from the NBA* if Brooklyn were to trade him,” Wright said on Twitter.
Irving responded to the tweet with a cryptic puppet meme. For as much fun as Simmons and The Ringer staff had discussing hypothetical trades, the longtime NBA analyst said he does not see James wanting to leave the Lakers.
“Here’s the real reason that he would never want to get traded, for the same reason I wouldn’t want to get traded, he gets to watch his kids play sports,” Simmons noted. “There’s nothing more fun than that. He likes his life. I don’t think [he wants to be traded] ultimately, he’s fine.”
James can quiet the speculation by signing an extension this offseason. The four-time NBA champion can also put pressure on the Lakers to upgrade the current roster by instead opting to play out his current deal and become a free agent in 2023.
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Proposed Trade Sends Lakers a New Superstar for LeBron James