Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is clearly losing patience as he nears his 38th birthday. After another ugly Lakers loss, this time to his former team, the Miami Heat, James made some pointed comments to the media that sounded like a cry for help. He can still play basketball at a high level and wants to finish his career competing for championships. That's not happening right now in Los Angeles.
This was another example of LeBron putting public pressure on the front office to make moves to help this team win, but Rob Pelinka and Co. seem hesitant to pull the trigger on any big trades involving those future first-round picks because of where the team is at, now sitting at 14-21. That naturally leads some to the other end of the spectrum: What about trading LeBron James?
While it's fun for gossip and debate shows, the Lakers literally can't trade LeBron this season.
Why is that, you ask? That two-year, $97.1 million contract extension inked in August.
While LeBron's contract doesn't have a no-trade clause, the NBA's collective bargaining agreement says you can't be traded until six months after signing an extension, as noted by ESPN's Bobby Marks after The King agreed to that new deal. That six-month date comes after the Feb. 9 trade deadline, so James can't be dealt this season. It's simply against the rules.
So will the Lakers actually look to make win-now moves this season? The Anthony Davis injury complicates matters, and it just doesn't seem like there's much urgency to do anything given their place in the standings, which is in 13th place and 3.5 games behind the final play-in spot. Perhaps LeBron James' comments will change things, but as of right now, we'll have to see it to believe it.
Perhaps they should have done that Pacers trade before the season, because now the Lakers are stuck with an angry LeBron, an injured AD and a bad supporting cast.
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