There's been a running gag among NBA fan circles about how no LeBron James teammate is safe when the trade deadline comes.
With this season's deadline coming swiftly, multiple memes have already spawned about the possible fate of Los Angeles Lakers' current group.
LeBron James, after all, is believed to have full control over front office decisions in terms of shaping up his team's roster. These claims, of course, have never been proven nor denied by James' camp.
“The King” has been the league's premier superstar over the years, and it's quite understandable that a player of his magnitude holds so much influence over one franchise.
Such was the case for the despondent Lakers team last year, as his teammates were reportedly devastated upon seeing reports that almost everyone was on the trade block.
This season, power forward Kyle Kuzma's name keeps popping up as the most likely candidate to be shipped out of LA.
With the deadline coming in three days, let's recall some of James' most high-profile teammates that were traded around the same time.
3. Isaiah Thomas
The Cleveland Cavaliers were the busiest team in the 2018 trade deadline. That season turned out to be LeBron James' final year in his hometown after electing to join the Lakers the following year.
They tried to make him stay by making blockbuster deals, none bigger than trading away Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye, and a 2018 first-round draft pick in exchange for Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr.
Thomas was coming off an MVP-season with the Boston Celtics the year prior but was extremely limited by a hip injury once he joined the Cavs.
2. Dwyane Wade
LeBron and D-Wade go way back during their championship years with the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013. The pair actually reunited shortly in Cleveland during Wade's short and rather forgettable stint with the Cavs in the 2017-18 season.
After struggling to find his footing in Cleveland, Wade reportedly requested to be traded back to the Heat and finish his career in South Beach.
As the Cavs overhauled their roster in 2018, Wade was shipped to the Heat in exchange for a protected 2024 second-round draft pick.
1. Derrick Rose
Detroit Pistons guard Derrick Rose has been constantly linked with a possible trade to the Lakers this season. Back when he was still trying to get his legs back from a series of devastating knee injuries, D-Rose actually briefly teamed up with LeBron James in Cleveland.
Like Thomas and Wade, Rose's stay in Q also did not pan out as they initially hoped for. Injuries continued to hamper Rose at the time. He even began to question his desire to continue playing during the rough stretch.
The Cavs eventually decided to let him go in a massive three-team deal with the Sacramento Kings and Utah Jazz. Rose, along with Jae Crowder, was shipped to Utah, while the Cavs received Rodney Hood and George Hill. Sacramento got Joe Johnson and Iman Shumpert in return.
Rose was waived by the Jazz and eventually joined the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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