Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James issued a message about the Lakers’ refusal to use their first-round picks in the 2027 and 2029 NBA drafts to improve the roster this season.
The Lakers won their fifth straight game on Saturday night, beating the Sacramento Kings, but James seems to believe the team needs more help, especially with injuries mounting.
At the moment, the Lakers are without star Anthony Davis and two key role players, Austin Reaves and Lonnie Walker IV, due to injury. It’s made things tough on Los Angeles, yet James has carried the team night in and night out this season.
“In his most extensive comments yet on the Lakers’ lack of upgrades — and more specifically the reluctance to trade the 2027 and 2029 first-round picks that some team officials believe would be better used to chase another star player this summer — James made it clear that his patience is waning,” The Athletic’s Sam Amick wrote.
James, who finished Saturday night’s game with 37 points (on 14-of-28 shooting), eight rebounds and seven assists, is only under contract with the Lakers through the 2023-24 season.
He’s playing at an All-NBA caliber level right now, and at 38 years of age, the Lakers star doesn’t want to see the team waste away another one of his seasons.
James spoke about his conversations with ownership and a potential deal coming to help the Lakers’ roster this season.
“I’m working,” James said. “I don’t have time. We’re playing every other day, three (out of) four nights. I don’t have time to be…”
James explained that he is “doing his job” and said the front office is doing what it believes is best for the franchise.
While holding onto the picks for the long term may help the Lakers when James has already moved on, it certainly is wasting his talent in the 2022-23 season.
James is currently averaging 29.1 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game while shooting 51.0 percent from the field. He’s doing unprecedented things at his age, and he’s on pace to break the NBA’s all-time scoring record this season.
Yet, the Lakers have not pulled the trigger to go all in on the team this season.
The four-time champion was asked about how he feels about the franchise’s approach this season.
“I’m doing what’s best for my guys in the locker room,” James said. “That’s all I can worry about. I’ll let y’all…”
Amick explained that James paused and walked away before issuing one final thought.
“Y’all know what the f— should be happening,” James said. “I don’t need to talk.”
Clearly, there is a disconnect between James and the Lakers’ plans at this juncture. Whether or not the team changes its mind remains to be seen.
Right now, the Lakers are the No. 12 seed in the West with a 19-21 record. The team is just 1.5 games out of the No. 6 seed in the conference.
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