Trade & FA 2023-24: Stein-Ingram Trade Inevitable| LAL Want Lebron Back On Any Terms

[mvossman]

LeBron has a player option and he can basically dictate where he wants to go to. I could imagine Mavs being at the top of his list, if there really is anything true about this. 

Mavs would need to trade THJ, Maxi, Holmes and GW for LeBron and some scrubs. 2027 pick seems very light for such a deal, so I wonder if Lively would have to be included for an ultimate win now move. Very Cuban like move and Luka-Irving-LeBron would be a very respectful trio. But rest of the team would be mostly trash.

I am not a fan of Cuban, but I don't think he is dumb enough to send out Lively in a Lebron trade.

[KillerLeft]

I am not a fan of Cuban, but I don't think he is dumb enough to send out Lively in a Lebron trade.

Yeah, I don’t think you trade lively for him, but that is pretty much the only young player who would be here after such a deal.

[BigDirk41]

I'd send anyone not named Luka, Kyrie or Lively to get LeBron.

[StrandedOnBeauboisHill]

So is a Lebron offer basically Hardaway/Green/Hardy/OMax and all the picks?

[omahen]

I am not a fan of Cuban, but I don't think he is dumb enough to send out Lively in a Lebron trade.

LeBron is still a top10 player in the league and is an ultimate money making machine for any team he plays for. Of course the move would be all about an ultimate all in with the goal to win the chip this or next season. Armaggedon afterwards. Like Phoenix. I think the cost would be more or less everything we can offer asset wise. I would expect a parade of bought out players to Mavs afterwards. Add a guy like Hayward as 6th man. The only problem would be the center position.

[Smitty]

Who says no?

[SleepingHero]

LeBron has a player option and he can basically dictate where he wants to go to. I could imagine Mavs being at the top of his list, if there really is anything true about this. 

Mavs would need to trade THJ, Maxi, Holmes and GW for LeBron and some scrubs. 2027 pick seems very light for such a deal, so I wonder if Lively would have to be included for an ultimate win now move. Very Cuban like move and Luka-Irving-LeBron would be a very respectful trio. But rest of the team would be mostly trash.

I think that player option and the fact Lebron has been quite adamant about playing with his son who's set to be drafted this summer means his cost is going to be VERY low. 

In fact I reckon Lebron will 100% be a rental no matter what. And trading even a 1st for a 39 year old rental is insane. But it is Lebron, and he will turn this team into contenders overnight.

Also don't underestimate Lebron being a GM and wanting to go to a pretty much ready made team for the best shot to win. I don't think he'll want Luka kyrie, or even Lively to be traded. 

Matching contracts, a 1st, 2nds, and maybe a pick swap seems like an incredibly strong deal imo.

[BigDirk41]

It's crazy to say but LeBron can probably play another 5 years at a really high level.

[omahen]

I think there is no way Lakers trade LeBron for a bunch of trash salaries, some meh young players and just one FRP. Lively would imho have to be included.

[KillerLeft]

It's crazy to say but LeBron can probably play another 5 years at a really high level.

Especially on a team with Luka, who can actually do what he wanted Davis to do in terms of taking pressure off of him to drive the team.

Don’t think for a second that all involved, him especially, aren’t thinking about that. LeBron has been wanting to play off-ball since he was a Miami Heat. It never works because he is always the only one who can initiate at a high enough level. I’m not saying that it it is Luka Dončić or bust, but I guarantee you he is looking around for someone who can play point guard. That is pretty much what is wrong with the Lakers.

[F Gump]

@DavidPingalore
Hearing from @nba peeps @KingJames is the top of the @Lakers list to trade the 39 year old.  Pelinka is looking for the right team to dance with and is close to a suitor  Lbj and AD both out tonight. 
@KTLA

@KTLA5SPORTS
#nba #Lakers

Legit reporter - TV sports anchor in LA. This may go nowhere, but it's a credible report. Which is interesting.

It's not out of the realm of possibility that LBJ could get tired of the losing, and demand a trade. He's a FA in the summer, so likely to drive the destination choices. And who stays to play alongside.

[KillerLeft]

I think there is no way Lakers trade LeBron for a bunch of trash salaries, some meh young players and just one FRP. Lively would imho have to be included.

Then it’s probably not a good fit, because Dallas really shouldn’t do that, and honestly, if you think a lively level prospect is what it will take, then I doubt lively is the player the Lakers will want if the plan is to build around Anthony Davis. 

If the Lakers are driving the bus, not LeBron, they are going to want a different list of assets from a different team. This only works if LeBron wants to come here and they want to help him.

probably best not to get our hopes up. Man, that Kuzma trade is going to hit even worse after thinking about this.

[KillerLeft]

No reporting on this, whatsoever, but in my opinion the team Most in need of shedding salary before it’s too late is Minnesota. All of the other huge salary teams have infrastructure that can handle it, even if doing so is inconvenient. I am in complete disbelief that Minnesota is even pretending that they are OK with paying the bill they’re going to have to pay very soon.

I would not be completely shocked if KAT is a surprise trade deadline sell off.

[Smitty]

No reporting on this, whatsoever, but in my opinion the team Most in need of shedding salary before it’s too late is Minnesota. All of the other huge salary teams have infrastructure that can handle it, even if doing, so makes them uncomfortable. I am in almost complete disbelief that Minnesota is even pretending that they are OK with paying the bill they’re going to have to pay very soon.

I would not be completely shocked if KAT is a surprise trade deadline sell off.

Weren’t the Hawks heavily rumored to trade for him a few months ago?

[surfpuckmd]

Legit reporter - TV sports anchor in LA. This may go nowhere, but it's a credible report. Which is interesting.

It's not out of the realm of possibility that LA could get tired of the losing, and demand a trade. He's a FA in the summer, so likely to drive the destination choices.

It's probably the reporter just making a dark joke but the Lakers fanbase is sweating this.  I think Lebron is a unique situation and the Lakers would probably trade him wherever he asks.  In order to remain the premiere NBA free agent destination, I believe the Lakers would honor Lebron's request.  

If this is real, I could imagine the Mavericks being the team he would ask to be traded to.  I could also imagine the Heat, Cavaliers, Knicks and Suns.  

I don't like Lebron but I would change my stance the moment he became a Maverick.  We would become the 2nd-best team in the NBA almost immediately.

[KillerLeft]

Weren’t the Hawks heavily rumored to trade for him a few months ago?

It seems like they want him, yeah, and he was certainly available over the summer. It’s just a matter of how seriously MINN ownership is taking this first place record… They are probably pretty jazzed about it, but on the other hand, there’s a thing FGump was talking about the other day about how the rules get even harder to work around this summer.

They literally cannot afford to wait too long.

[surfpuckmd]

The Joel Embiid news is being overshadowed by the Lebron possibility.  I anticipate his meniscal tear will require surgery and he will miss the remainder of the season.  The 76ers looked like a contender until very recently.  This is sad news unless you're a Knicks or a Cavaliers fan.

[omahen]

Then it’s probably not a good fit, because Dallas really shouldn’t do that, and honestly, if you think a lively level prospect is what it will take, then I doubt lively is the player the Lakers will want if the plan is to build around Anthony Davis. 

If the Lakers are driving the bus, not LeBron, they are going to want a different list of assets from a different team. This only works if LeBron wants to come here and they want to help him.

probably best not to get our hopes up. Man, that Kuzma trade is going to hit even worse after thinking about this.

Who says they will rebuild around Davis? And even if they do, Davis always prefered to play next to a center, so Lively could actually be a good fit.

If Lakers do a LeBron trade, they will always look for a quick rebuild. As a FA destination, they would want to get cap space as quick as possible. Tank 2024/2025 (perhaps this includes trading Davis), get top3 pick in 2025 which is supposed to be a good draft and also have cap space in that year. With Russell, THJ and Holmes deals of the table in 2025 they probably also have max cap space available that year. Reeves, Lively, 2025 top pick, Vando, Davis (if still on the team) and cap space is their core that year. 

The case why they don't need to trade LeBron for less than a royal (max possible assets the team can offer) return imho is, they can also trade 3 FRP in the summer and try to convince LeBron they will build a better team around him and Davis. Losing him for nothing is not that much worse than a bunch of bad contracts and one FRP. Philly is the only serious team with cap space that can sign him anyway. Everyone else would need to SnT or more likely trade for him in the summer.

---

No reporting on this, whatsoever, but in my opinion the team Most in need of shedding salary before it’s too late is Minnesota. All of the other huge salary teams have infrastructure that can handle it, even if doing so is inconvenient. I am in complete disbelief that Minnesota is even pretending that they are OK with paying the bill they’re going to have to pay very soon.

I would not be completely shocked if KAT is a surprise trade deadline sell off.

I think it is highly unlikely best team in the West will break up their core before failing in playoffs. They can still trade KAT in the summer and they will need a PG in return to replace Conley.

[KillerLeft]

It's probably the reporter just making a dark joke but the Lakers fanbase is sweating this.  I think Lebron is a unique situation and the Lakers would probably trade him wherever he asks.  In order to remain the premiere NBA free agent destination, I believe the Lakers would honor Lebron's request.  

If this is real, I could imagine the Mavericks being the team he would ask to be traded to.  I could also imagine the Heat, Cavaliers, Knicks and Suns.  

I don't like Lebron but I would change my stance the moment he became a Maverick.  We would become the 2nd-best team in the NBA almost immediately.

I think you could rule the suns out, because he and Durant don’t seem like a fit. Other than that, I think your list is a good one. I am sure Philly will try to get involved, but within Embiid going down I’m not sure that works, either. 

Honestly, this is probably the one situation where it might pay to have Jason Kidd as coach. Between him, Kyrie, and what I mentioned earlier about LeBron wanting someone like Luka to take the ball, I can see it. 

Again, I only think it works if both organizations work together to get LeBron here. I don’t think Dallas will be able to outbid the other teams. But, if there is one person in the NBA with the ability to point to a team and be transferred there, it’s LeBron. I mean, I just don’t think we can even calculate what he is worth to the NBA as a business. Even Adam silver will probably just say “send them where he wants so he will keep playing.“ It might be wishful thinking, but I don’t think it’s crazy.

[Winter]

So we don't care about Josh, OMax, and Hardy anymore. The Mavs have invested years with two of them. and Omax is a budding star in this thread. That was so 10 minutes ago. They're yesterday's news now. Instead, we get 39-year old Lebron for at least a few months and maybe a year. Of course, we don't need time to gel as a team. Coach Kidd will guide us. A Championship is a foregone conclusion. Plus, we won't have to tune into the draft until at least 2028. I mean what's not to like?

Man, you gotta love message boards.