Remember earlier in the season when the Los Angeles Lakers got blown out on the road by the Indiana Pacers and LeBron James was sitting all by himself at the end of the bench?
That loss came smack dab in the middle of the Anthony Davis trade rumors, so it's no wonder why the Lakers looked completely out of sync and the young players looked disconnected from James that night.
Bill Oram of The Athletic has confirmed as much, saying that the Lakers' youngsters stopped trusting LeBron because they felt he was trying to get them traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in a deal for Davis.
Oram does not specify which young players, but it seems like more of a thing where you have to wonder who did trust James at that point?
Article Continues BelowRemember: The Lakers reportedly made a Godfather offer to the Pelicans for Davis that was said to include Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Ivica Zubac, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and multiple draft picks, so, basically, most of the roster was tossed around in trade rumors.
As a result, Los Angeles floundered during the second half of the season, and now, with one game remaining in the 2018-19 campaign, the Lakers currently own a record of 37-44 and will miss the playoffs for the sixth straight year.
Of course, injuries have also played a significant role in the ineptitude this season, but it also appears that a schism in the locker room caused by James' desire to add Davis at the expense of most of the roster caused serious issues.