The Los Angeles Lakers once won seven straight games earlier in the season, but lately they’ve been slumping. LeBron James could be entering his final year in the NBA, yet his priority remains the same: he wants to be on a team that can legitimately compete for a championship.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Rich Paul told ESPN. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”
The Lakers have been rumored to be targeting a defensive-minded player, and former NBA player Kendrick Perkins recently blasted their defense after the loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
"The Lakers got exposed defensively last night," said Perkins. "That's what the Spurs did, they exposed the Lakers defensively by attacking them. The Lakers can't stop cars at a crosswalk in a school zone. That's how horrible they are. Real talk on the defensive side of things."
However, former NBA Champion Jeff Teague said on his podcast that the team’s inability to acquire a defensive star falls on the structure of James’ contract.
“They can’t get anybody defensively because Bron take up a lot of money. They say we need more defense. Why would you trade AR who’s 27 playing at an All Star level when you got a 40 year old who’s on his last leg,” Teague said.
There’s no doubt the Lakers are in a complicated spot because their young stars, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, are off-limits in trade talks. Beyond them, the list of appealing trade chips becomes thin.
James’ contract occupies a large portion of the salary cap, making it difficult to construct even a modest trade. As of now, the Lakers appear stuck in the mud — and James, intentionally or not, seems to be at the center of it.