The Los Angeles Lakers have had little to celebrate since their bubble title run in 2020, so it no surprise that LeBron James is frustrated. Even though he seems to think he can play until he is 45, he probably only has a few more years playing at this current level.
No one thought the Lakers would be in a position to have to trade LeBron after he signed a two-year extension this past offseason, yet now might be the best time to get something back for him. It could be one of the biggest mistakes in NBA history to trade one of the game’s greatest players ever, but since the Lakers won’t make a trade to surround him with better pieces, they should commit to a full rebuild.
LeBron made is clear that he does not want to play meaningless basketball this late in his career. If things continue, the Lakers may have no choice but to trade James.
In the right situation, LeBron can still be one of the most valuable players in the league on both ends of the floor. He showed that on his 38th birthday dropping 47 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists leading the Lakers to a win against Atlanta.
Those aging generational talents are being wasted missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year in Los Angeles. It would be beneficial for both parties to have a mutual break up this offseason.
The Lakers badly need to jump-start their rebuild and trading LeBron James might be the key.
LeBron James is one of the few players on the roster that can play a major role on a championship team, so they can actually get useful assets back for him.
Best case scenario at this point is that LeBron gets to ride off into the sunset with a title contender and the Lakers get a young quality starter with a package of draft picks to rebuild with.
Here are four teams that LeBron could help get over the hump and would be an interesting destination for him to end his career. They are also teams that could give the Lakers the return they are looking for.
4. Atlanta Hawks
One of the more realistic trades on the list involves the Atlanta Hawks, who LeBron just put on a show for and almost single-handedly beat himself. They have a few young players that could pair well with Anthony Davis, and they still have draft picks despite making the DeJounte Murray trade last offseason.
This proposed trade would send sharpshooter Bogdan Bogdanovic and big man John Collins to Los Angeles along with two future first-round picks to bring the King to the peach state. Bogdanovic is a player the Lakers have been linked to in the past and the Hawks have been looking for the right deal for Collins for a while.
To appease their disgruntled superstar Trae Young, they could trade for someone that he grew up idolizing and could form a big three with his backcourt running mate Murray. The Hawks would instantly have their best team and player in franchise history by adding James and the Lakers could add solid building blocks for right now and the future.
LeBron might object to this destination because this squad does not necessarily become an instant title contender by just adding him. However, this team did reach the Eastern Conference Finals two seasons ago and he might still have enough to put that core group over the top.
3. Phoenix Suns
The Suns and DeAndre Ayton have been headed for a bitter breakup because of all the drama that has been building up in Phoenix over the past couple of seasons. That could be an opportunity for the Lakers to trade for the young big man with major potential to play alongside AD.
The Suns would probably be reluctant to give up a package of both Ayton and talented young small forward Cam Johnson, but it would not hurt for the Lakers to swing for the fences and start the bidding high. The Suns would still be left with a starting group that would include three all-star level players with Devin Booker, Chris Paul, James and an elite perimeter defender in Mikal Bridges.
If Paul and James wanted one last run at the title as banana boat buddies, then this could be their opportunity. Booker would also be the best guard that James has played with since his days catching lobs from Dwyane Wade.
This would be the perfect chance for the Lakers to get players that could develop into All-stars and fit the timeline to create a contender with Anthony Davis as the centerpiece. If the Lakers could not get both Ayton and Johnson from Phoenix then a package of Ayton, money fillers, and a first-round pick might be enough to push this deal through.
Jae Crowder Phoenix was linked to making a trade for Kevin Durant this past offseason, and this is a similar move of that magnitude that would reshape the landscape of the league.
2. Miami Heat
Taking his talents to South Beach round two? This time the decision would not be as big, although a reunion with the team where LeBron won his first title would feel so good for him and both franchises making the deal.
The Heat were a 3-pointer away from making it to the Finals last season and lost to the LeBron lead Lakers in the Finals in 2020. It is clear they are in contention, but they need something extra to push them past that championship threshold.
Out of all the teams on this list, Miami is the only one that knows what it is like to win a championship with the King and how to deal with him. They did leave on somewhat bad terms when James returned to Cleveland in 2014, but this could be the best place to finish his career and go out on top.
With James, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo they would have almost a recreation of the first big three Bron created in Miami in 2010. Obviously, they would be an older group, but those three players would be enough to contend in the East.
Pat Riley is never afraid to make big trades and if all he has to do is give up Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson (playing the least minutes since his rookie year), and an aging Kyle Lowry to get a shot at a championship he probably would do it.
On the Lakers’ end of the deal, they would be getting back a great young player with Tyler Herro and would change into a sharpshooting team overnight by adding Robinson as well. Lowry would be in the deal mainly to make the money work, but he would be a solid player in the short term to keep the Lakers somewhat competitive.
More importantly, they would be getting an important first-round pick and that paired with Herro is more than enough to make this worth it for Los Angeles.
1. Toronto Raptors
LeBron has tormented the Toronto Raptors franchise and all of Canada since he entered the league in 2003. He was always there waiting to eliminate them from the postseason dominating the Eastern Conference for the better part of two decades.
Toronto’s General Manager Masai Ujiri has proven that he will go all in for a deal even if it just gives the Raptors a shot at a title for just one season. He pulled off the best trade in franchise history when he got Kawhi as a mercenary for a season and it resulted in the team’s first and only title.
The Raptors are sitting on a great young core and a bundle of draft picks making them more prime than anyone in the league to make a big offer for a superstar. It depends on how they view LeBron, and if he is still good enough to carry a team that’s second and third-best players would be Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet to a championship.
For the Lakers, this deal would be a no-brainer and their biggest return would be O.G. Anunoby. An anonymous GM was quoted saying the whole league wants Anunoby and a trade return for him would be larger than expected.
Well, how’s the return of one of the best players to ever play the game? Max Christie is also thrown into the trade because the Lakers would need to sweeten the deal somehow and he is one of their better young assets.
Gary Trent Jr. is also another talented young player that the Lakers would be getting back in this hypothetical deal that the Lakers would be ecstatic getting. The draft pick is the icing on the cake in this deal making this trade package the best one on the Lakers side of things.
The Raptors would probably be hesitant to trade solid young pieces for a player that just turned 38, but Ujiri is probably still craving that taste of championship champagne again. It also helps that none of the Raptors’ future picks are tied up in other deals, making them the most realistic LeBron destination.
Toronto has been a play in level team this season, this trade would jolt them back into the title conversation and would instantly cause Drake to drop a track featuring LBJ.
3 surprising Lakers who won’t last all of 2023 in LA
The Los Angeles Lakers are going to change a lot over the course of the 2023 calendar year. These three surprising players will eventually leave LA.