“It’s happened several times where he is like, ‘Nope, start over’” - Brian Windhorst says LeBron James is known for flushing his whole team, says Jeanie Buss’ comments were interesting
After going 33-49 last season even with LeBron James playing at a high level, the LA Lakers need to make huge moves this summer.
It appears that the Lakers are trying to do this by making a trade for Kyrie Irving with the Brooklyn Nets. If that falls apart and they keep the core of James, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis, another disappointing season could ensue.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst spoke about James' power to make team decisions:
"LeBron is known for flushing his whole team. It's happened several times where he is like, 'Nope, phsssss, start over.'"
A generational player like James has much more power than an average NBA player. He's been influencing front-office decisions for almost two decades, but we'll have to wait to see if he does anything about the roster this summer.
Did Jeannie Buss talk about LeBron James in her tweet?
LA Lakers president Jeannie Buss recently posted a cryptic tweet about Kobe Bryant, saying how he valued the team over his individual achievements.
No one knows her intentions, but many believe she was taking shots at LeBron James.
I miss KB. He would understand and explain everything that I’m not allowed to. Honestly he was the greatest Laker ever. He understood team over self. Meaning your rewards would come if you valued team goals over your own then everything would fall into place. All can reply.
Brian Windhorst brought up this tweet on the "Hoop Collective" podcast, saying he’s not sure what Buss was talking about.
However, the NBA insider wondered what advice Bryant would give James if he was still alive. The 37-year-old forward doesn't care about the 2027 draft pick the Lakers have and wants to win now, but that draft pick could make a huge difference this offseason.
"I'm not so sure that's what Jennie's talking about here, but it's interesting," Windhorst said.
Windhorst also brought up the Rudy Gobert trade to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The trade changed a lot in the league as the Timberwolves gave up players and four first-round draft picks for the big man.
If the Lakers and James want to acquire Irving or any other high-profile player through a trade, they will most likely have to offer great draft compensation. While James is fine with this, the Lakers may not want to potentially ruin their future.
The situation between the Nets and the Lakers
There have been reports of a potential trade between the Lakers and the Nets. The Nets would send Kyrie Irving and Joe Harris to Los Angeles. The Lakers would ship Russell Westbrook and several draft picks to Brooklyn.
Woj reports the Lakers number one priority is still Kyrie Irving and that the Spurs could help facilitate a 3-team deal.
San Antonio would be incentivized to take on Russell Westbrook with multiple first round picks. https://t.co/nfsAtZwS57
Some NBA insiders believe Irving's market value isn't high, but that the Nets will not give him up just for the sake of it.
But the trade may take a long time to complete. Neither team is in a hurry, although the Lakers should probably make some big moves before it's too late.