As the champion that LeBron James is, there is no doubt that he wants to win. Even at 38 years old and in his 20th year in the league, the star has made it clear that he is still chasing after another championship. The question is: is that a reasonable goal for the King to have while remaining on the Lakers the rest of his career?
Although James may be giving Father Time a run for his money, he is still nearing the end of his career, as much as Laker fans may hate the thought of it. The Lakers are currently 19-22 and have struggled this season especially after taking a hit from the absence of Anthony Davis due to his injury. With James on the hunt for a fifth title, many say that the 18-time NBA All-Star is wasting his last few years on a team that is not in optimal alignment with his winning aspirations.
On a recent episode of ESPN 710 AM radio show Sedano & Kap, their colleague Ethan Skolnick said that if James could be traded before the deadline, he may in fact be asking for one.
“I honestly believe that if he could be traded before the trade deadline, which he can’t be, he might be pushing for that behind the scenes right now. “But he can’t, so that’s not an option. … He should be finishing his career in a place like Cleveland or Miami…and try to finish up and win there. If the Lakers, look if they don’t want him, somebody else will take him. And it doesn’t seem to me like they want him.”
The Lakers are currently projected to miss out on the playoffs, as they sit at the No. 12 seed in the Western Conference. The Thunder, Spurs, and Rockets are the three teams below them.
Despite the team’s position, James remains one of the best players in the league, averaging 29.1 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game this season for the 19-22 Lakers. Those numbers sound like stats of a player that should be on a playoff contending team.
Rightfully so, James has previously admitted that playing basketball at this high level just to simply go through the motions is not what he is built for. The four-time MVP is a winner and brings championship caliber play to every team.
Although trade rumors continue to circulate, this speculation is merely a hypothesis. If James were made available via trade, one can only imagine how many teams would jump to try and acquire him. For now, the King remains in Los Angeles and will try to do with the current circumstances he is given.
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