Trades can’t be completed in the NBA right now, but that hasn’t prevented the rumor mill from speculating about a potential LeBron James trade in the future.
Let’s face it, the Los Angeles Lakers aren’t poised for anything special this season despite winning the NBA Finals just two seasons ago, albeit in a bubble.
The roster isn’t built to win as is, which will likely lead to a true makeover in L.A. this offseason. Could that even include King James asking for a trade?
It’s possible. We all know how driven LBJ is to win. He may think the championship window with the Lakers has closed and could want to land in a different market.
From his perspective, James appears to be saying all the right things, noting that he wants to stay with the Lakers. But, there’s also Bronny James, wherever he might end up in a few seasons, in which LBJ has already said he wants to team up with.
There’s no telling what happens over the next few years, but as of now, LeBron is under contract with the Lakers through the 2022-23 season. But that hasn’t prevented the speculation about LeBron being traded this offseason.
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Shaquille O’Neal believes Lakers cannot afford to trade LeBron James
If there’s one thing both Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James have in common, it’s their ability to play winning basketball. Both players have won four NBA titles a piece, yet Shaq believes the Lakers can’t part with LeBron if they want to win another.
There’s no doubt, any trade of King James would fetch a nice haul for the Lakers, providing a route for a quick rebuild at the very least.
In a recent interview with CNBC.com, Shaq Diesel suggested a LeBron James trade would be a massive mistake for the storied organization. One they may never recover from.
“If you trade LeBron, you’ll never win again,” O’Neal said of the Lakers in an interview with CNBC.
Shaquille O’Neal on thoughts of Lakers trading LeBron James
The former Lakers star added a bit more to his way of thinking, saying the Lakers can fix this, with LeBron on hand.
“If you put LeBron around the right guys, they are definitely going to win,” he said. “I think whoever put the team together needs to step up and try and fix it.”
Shaq may have a hot take here, but it’s not hard to see his viewpoint. LeBron is still among the best NBA players in the game today, averaging 29 points per game. There’s no reason to believe they can’t get back to being a top-flight franchise once again, they just may need to find a different way to construct their roster for the 2022-23 season.