Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, who turns 38 today, is doing whatever he can to carry his team on his shoulders amid Anthony Davis' injury. While James is still playing at a high level, the Lakers' supporting cast has been uneven to say the least, as seen in their 14-21 record. And with Father Time sapping away James' ability to guarantee a playoff spot for whichever team he plays for, many believe that the Lakers are clutching onto their most-coveted assets for a franchise-altering blockbuster trade.
According to Marc Stein, rival teams think that the Lakers are holding out hope that a potentially disgruntled All-Star like, say, a Bradley Beal, becomes available in the trade market to help LeBron James navigate the twilight of his career.
“Some rival teams believe that the Lakers want to try to keep their two most coveted trade assets in case a currently unforeseen shot to trade for a legitimate third star — like Washington's Bradley Beal — materializes suddenly,” Stein wrote (subscription required).
For the past few months, the Lakers and the Indiana Pacers have engaged in talks on a potential trade which includes Russell Westbrook's monster expiring contract and the Lakers' 2027 and 2029 first round picks in exchange for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield. However, the Lakers didn't want to pull the trigger as that could leave them even more depleted in terms of future assets amid the uncertainty that Turner and Hield could, indeed, turn the Lakers' fortunes around.
Still, it's unclear whether a potential trade for Bradley Beal could swing the purple and gold right back into contention. Beal may be a three-time All-Star, but the Lakers have a plethora of problems that even a player of his caliber wouldn't be able to solve. Nevertheless, with the clock ticking on LeBron James' career, LA may not have a choice but to swing for the fences.
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