"F***ing Delusional": Kevin Garnett holds nothing back on Lakers' contender status, calls for immediate help for LeBron James
The LA Lakers chose not to fortify their roster around superstar forward LeBron James before Thursday’s NBA trade deadline. The team instead stood pat, later adding veteran point guard Spencer Dinwiddie via the buyout market. According to Boston Celtics legend Kevin Garnett, the Lakers’ inactivity cost them a shot at contending.
Despite having NBA title aspirations, the Lakers (28-26) sit ninth in the Western Conference after 54 games. Meanwhile, they rank just 20th in offensive rating (114.0) and 14th in defensive rating (114.8).
LA has most of the key pieces from last year’s West finals team, including star center Anthony Davis and guards Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell. However, the team hasn’t come together as expected. Therefore, many, including Garnett, feel that the Lakers made a mistake by not making roster upgrades before the deadline.
During the latest episode of “KG Certified,” Garnett called out those who believe that the Lakers are contenders as constructed.
“I think anybody sitting here looking at the Laker team and them talking about [how] they can actually contest in the West for a title is f***ing delusional,” Garnett said.
The former MVP also highlighted the franchise’s failure to capitalize on potentially one of the last years of James’ prime.
“They should have made moves, I feel like, to better that team for him,” Garnett said. “He doesn’t have much time. Bron probably has what, two or three more years? … They’re not a contender, bro.”
LeBron James, 39, continues to defy the odds in his 21st season, as he received his record-breaking 20th All-Star selection last month. However, as Garnett noted, the four-time MVP’s production is bound to drop off eventually, as he is already past the age that many players retire.
James hinted on numerous occasions this season that he would like to see changes made in LA. But with the trade deadline over, he will have to wait at least until the offseason for his team to make any sizeable moves.
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Lakers targeting multiple stars to pair alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis this summer
While the Lakers were inactive at the trade deadline, it wasn’t due to lack of effort, according to Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka.
Following the deadline, Pelinka spoke about his team’s decision to stand pat, highlighting how the “right move” never presented itself.
“If the right move would’ve been there at the right price, we would’ve pulled the trigger,” Pelinka said. “We’re not fearful of using future assets for now. It’s just gotta be using future assets for the now in the right way and the right deal. … We tried everything we could, and again, the market is the market. There were very, very few sellers.”
However, the Lakers’ decision to hold onto their assets, most notably their highly coveted 2029 first-round pick, could prove to be beneficial. Per The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, LA will have three firsts (2031, 2029 and either 2024 or 2025) available to trade this summer.
So, the franchise is waiting for the next big-name player to become available to potentially form a Big 3 alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Buha named star guards Donovan Mitchell, Trae Young and Kyrie Irving as “three potential targets.”
It remains to be seen if any of those players will become available this offseason. However, if they do, it appears that the Lakers will be ready to make a substantial offer.
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