Should Lakers, Warriors revisit LeBron James trade discussions? Could the Lakers and LeBron James actually entertain trade talks?
By Brett SiegelDec 5, 2024 at 4:36 PM ET Lakers’ LeBron James thinking about Warriors’ Stephen Curry at Olympics A return to Miami is something that LeBron James looks forward to every season. Due to the Los Angeles Lakers being in the Western Conference, this trip only comes once a year, and Wednesday night offered LeBron a chance to take a trip down memory lane and escape what has been a rocky season for the Lakers lately.
On the verge of his 40th birthday, James finds himself in the midst of his 20th season. South Beach will always hold a special place in his heart, as he won two regular-season MVPs, two Finals MVPs, and two championships as the face of the Miami Heat. These accolades and championships help define James’ historic career, one that could be coming to an end sooner than many imagined. This is because a special trip through LeBron’s past quickly turned into nightmares for the Lakers.
All of the talk about the end of LeBron’s Hall of Fame career and Los Angeles’ struggles has reached new heights after the Heat trounced them by 41 points on Wednesday night in a 134-93 game. For the second straight game, the Lakers failed to eclipse 100 points, and it was also the third time in their last four contests. This was the third-worst loss the Lakers have suffered in the LeBron era.
The Lakers kicked off the 2024-25 season with a 10-4 record. All seemed right under JJ Redick’s new leadership, and the team was near the top of the Western Conference standings. That is no longer the Lakers’ reality, as they are now 12-10 on the season. More importantly, and perhaps Los Angeles’ greatest concern, is that age is beginning to catch up to James.
Father Time finally catching LeBron James
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) looks up at the scoreboard late in a game against the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center. Jim Rassol-Imagn Images LeBron is 39 years old. He will turn 40 on December 30 in what will surely be a celebrity-flocked joint birthday and New Year’s celebration for the James family. After averaging 25.7 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.3 rebounds per game and shooting a career-best 41.0 percent from three-point range last year, LeBron’s scoring numbers have taken a hit early this season.
Through 22 games, James is averaging 22.3 points, 9.0 assists, and 7.9 rebounds per game while shooting 34.2 percent from three-point range and just under 50 percent from the floor. For any other player in the league, these would be All-Star-like numbers that result in them receiving MVP consideration. This is LeBron we are talking about, though, and his slight offensive decline is a result of not having the same burst he had a season ago.
Over his last seven games, James has recorded 20 or more points in just two contests. In this span, LeBron has shot just 3-of-30 (10.0 percent) from three-point range, and Los Angeles’ offense has been among the worst in the league.
Even LeBron’s streak of scoring 10-plus points in what is now 1,244 straight games was in jeopardy of being snapped when he scored only 10 points in a 109-80 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday. With the Lakers trailing by 23 points in this game, James knocked down one of two shots at the free-throw line to keep the streak alive.
Former NBA point guard Jeff Teague has joined Green in the Father Time discussion regarding James, claiming that LeBron needs to rest and that this could be his final season in the NBA.
Lakers’ struggles directly tied to roster construction
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and forward Anthony Davis (3) on the bench against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the fourth quarter at Target Center. Brad Rempel-Imagn Images Ever since the Lakers won their championship in the 2020 NBA Bubble, they have constantly tinkered with their roster.
The Russell Westbrook trade in 2021 left Los Angeles with several holes to fill due to the financial ramifications of tying Westbrook’s contract with those of James and Davis. A surprise trip to the 2023 Western Conference Finals and winning the first-ever NBA In-Season Tournament last season masked the fact that this franchise had not found any success since its championship run during the pandemic.
Three different head coaches have led the Lakers in the span of four seasons. Frank Vogel and Darvin Ham were both relieved of their duties because they failed to meet expectations. The only problem is that they were both set up to fail because the expectations placed on their roster were unachievable, regardless of how well LeBron and Davis were playing. Now, the same thing is happening to Redick.
Back-to-back losses by a combined 70 points are not and should not be labeled as Redick’s fault by any means. There are obviously things the first-year head coach is still learning and will work towards improving, but the biggest problem Los Angeles has right now is what they’ve been dealing with since that 2020 championship run.
