LeBron James usually gets what he wants when it comes to putting together a championship-caliber roster. So don't expect the Los Angeles Lakers to make much noise when the trade deadline rolls around on Feb. 6.
Speaking to the media after a 128-113 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, James plainly stated the team has all it needs to contend for a title now. It needs no further pieces.
Dave McMenamin @mctenWith the trade deadline coming up on Feb. 6th, LeBron was asked if the Lakers are "one piece away" from cementing their championship contender status. LeBron's answer was both confident, and savvy, preserving team chemistry by not suggesting weakness: "We have enough right now"
Answering that question in Brooklyn has a different feel after Kyrie Irving's latest comments. James' former teammate lamented that the young Nets didn't have enough pieces to contend, inadvertently throwing some of his teammates under the bus and leading to a mea culpa a few days later.
There won't be any of that needed from James.
He made himself clear, though there's certainly a line between what James will say to the media and what he'll do behind closed doors. Maybe that's why the Lakers' rumor mill keeps picking up.
General manager Rob Pelinka has said he'd be willing to move anyone on the roster except James and big man Anthony Davis if it helped them win a title.
With plenty of teams interested in Kyle Kuzma, that may be something to watch as the deadline nears. In early January, there were discussions with the Sacramento Kings about Kuzma, but nothing has gotten close yet due to the Kings' reluctance to move Bogdan Bogdanovic.
The Lakers have also been linked to point guard Derrick Rose. Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes recently reported L.A. would like another point guard for the stretch run. Rose, who's been solid for the Detroit Pistons this year, fits that bill.
Whether James' comments on Wednesday are a signal to Pelinka or just some bluffing through the media, it makes sense for him to remain upbeat about the roster.
The Lakers (36-9) are still the top team in the Western Conference and have won eight of their last 10 games. This isn't the time to mess with a good thing, and James isn't going to be the voice that shakes things up as the deadline nears.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMicGh0dHBzOi8vYmxlYWNoZXJyZXBvcnQuY29tL2FydGljbGVzLzI4NzI5NTAtbGVicm9uLWphbWVzLW9uLWxha2Vycy10cmFkZS1kZWFkbGluZS1uZWVkcy13ZS1oYXZlLWVub3VnaC1yaWdodC1ub3fSAYABaHR0cHM6Ly9zeW5kaWNhdGlvbi5ibGVhY2hlcnJlcG9ydC5jb20vYW1wLzI4NzI5NTAtbGVicm9uLWphbWVzLW9uLWxha2Vycy10cmFkZS1kZWFkbGluZS1uZWVkcy13ZS1oYXZlLWVub3VnaC1yaWdodC1ub3cuYW1wLmh0bWw?oc=5
2020-01-24 06:02:59Z
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