LeBron James wanted the Los Angeles Lakers to make a move ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline, which the team's front office didn't do. According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, that stagnant approach by the Lakers “offended” James, who has already started to cultivate the narrative for what he desires Los Angeles to do in the offseason.
What James is doing is likely aimed at one primary goal: Force the Lakers into major action this summer. He tried to do it nicely and now he's doing it harshly.
This isn't about leaving Los Angeles — that is not something James wants. It's not even about playing with his son. Bronny, 17, is a minimum of two years away from the NBA, if he's even able and ready at that age. There's a lot of basketball between now and then and, as James has shown this season, there's still gas in the tank to deploy before worrying about that dream.
The first half of the 2021-22 NBA season for the Lakers was a topsy-turvy one. They entered the All-Star break under .500 with a 27-31 record, good for only ninth in the Western Conference. With Anthony Davis often hurt and splashy offseason acquisition in former league MVP Russell Westbrook seemingly struggling to fit in the Lakers' floor dynamics, LeBron James must have reached a point where he thinks it would be more beneficial for his and the team's immediate goals if LA pulls off drastic changes once this season is over. Of course, that would also depend on how the rest of the campaign plays out for the Lakers, which doesn't look encouraging at the moment.
Being aggressive and further mortgaging the future will be painful and risky. But James is making his feelings clear: He doesn't care. Do it and they get more than new players, they will keep James deeply invested.
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