10-12-2025, 12:31 PM
(10-11-2025, 08:50 PM)F Gump Wrote: I bet he will do neither.
Trading him is next-to-impossible because the other team has to give up so much value, and only gets a half-season or so in return. Layer on top the trade matching challenge for a contract that big, with the complications of so many teams being hard-capped with almost no wiggle room, and the odds are tiny he could pick the team he wants.
Frankly, if he wants to play elsewhere, he shouldn't have opted in. And he can sign somewhere else in the summer, so it's not like he has to wait that long.
I also don't buy that LBJ would play Sabotage Ball if he wanted a trade that he didn't get. That just doesn't seem like something he would do. It would kill his legacy in the NBA, as well as ruin his standing in LA. Wherever he is, I think he will play hard, assuming he is healthy.
I very much agree with this and I think the LeBron situation is way overblown. I think it is actually positive that he puts pressure on results. They want to win, Luka wants to win and LeBron wants to win. Nothing negative here. Even with him out, I think Lakers are good enough to be at least middle of the pack in the western conference. I actually see some positives with him being out:
- line-up becomes more balanced as Lakers can insert a primary on-ball defender in the starting line-up now (either Smart or Vando)
- Rui is put on his natural PF position and he is a lights out catch and shoot shooter, who can also do some other stuff, decent enough defender
- Ayton will get more touches
- Reaves is a secondary ballhandler instead of tertiary (Reaves biggest strength is playing on ball, not off-ball)
The negative is that Lakers might run Luka to the ground, if LeBron will miss a bigger chunk of games. Lakers might suck if Luka or even Reaves misses some games (while LeBron is not playing), as lack of creation will become a problem in this case.
Fully agree that LeBron trade is not realistic. Lakers would of course never trade him for some "trash" on long term deals. Contenders will not give up "half" of their team to match the salaries. Some semi realistic ideas, of course many of them would need other minor moving pieces or third teams to put it within cap rules and limitations.
I think Mavs are one of the rare teams that could afford to trade their depth for him, but they would run into same problems Lakers had (AD and LeBron essentially want to play same position and they also have Flagg for PF/SF).
Detroit could theoretically make an interesting case, but I doubt LeBron would want to go there (he still has no-trade clause). Something like expiring Harris, Stewart and at least one of Ivey, Duren or Ausar. They have draft picks to sweeten the deal.
Clippers could be an interesting case, but they would need to find a taker for Kawhi to make it work and Kawhi trade would need to bring some interesting pieces to Lakers. Kawhi+Zubac. I doubt Lakers would have any interest in any kind of Kawhi for LeBron swap.
Minnesota with Randle+McDaniels?
San Antonio has a lot of flexibility if their season starts really great. Something like Vassel and Barnes.