Former Lakers star makes a surprising claim about LeBron James’ championship aspirations: “He’s gonna win another one”
Lamar Odom thinks LeBron James will win another ring. However, the former Sixth Man of the Year was unsure if that would happen with the LA Lakers. Odom believes the Lakers need an upgrade if James is to win a championship with them.
Here's what Odom said about James' championship aspirations on his podcast, "The LADE Show":
"He's gonna win another one. I don't know with this team [Lakers], he might need an upgrade."
It was a surprising claim. James and the Lakers haven't been given a real chance by many to win another chip. The Lakers have limited trade assets to improve their roster, while James has been on a gradual decline and needs more help around him at this stage of his career.
He has been injury prone over the past couple of seasons, and so has his co-star Anthony Davis. While healthy, the duo is still a threat, but the Lakers may find it difficult to get through the regular season and comfortably make the playoffs if they continue to miss games at a stretch.
Their absence cost the Lakers a trip to the playoffs last season, and that's likely to be the case if they are injured for a long time. The LA Lakers don't have a competitive roster around their two superstars, making it difficult for them to win games consistently without LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Also read: Charles Barkley refuses to give LA Lakers their flowers after 8-2 run: “If the playoffs started today, they wouldn’t even be in the Play-in Game”
LA Lakers dominate the rumor mill as they aim to improve roster around LeBron James and Anthony Davis
The LA Lakers seem optimistic about their title chances, with LeBron James and Anthony Davis leading the charge. They extended the former for another two years with a player option in the offseason, guaranteeing his stay in LA until at least the 2023-24 season.
Rob Pelinka stated on media day that the Lakers would do their best to surround James with the necessary talent for the franchise to compete for another championship under his leadership. That includes trading their future first-round picks if it gets them the pieces they believe would put the team back into contention.
So far, the Lakers have been quiet despite frequent rumors linking them to coveted targets. However, the latest reports suggest LA could make trades nearing the deadline. They are willing to offload their picks if it helps them secure All-Star-level talent.
The LA Lakers could also reportedly use the expiring contracts of Patrick Beverley and Kendrick Nunn to make buy-low trades, giving them the luxury of making separate transactions to add more players who could improve the roster.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis have shown over the last few games that they are still impactful, leading a contending roster. The ball's now in Rob Pelinka and the management's court to make the necessary moves and help the team get back into championship contention as soon as possible.
Also read: NBA Rumors: LA Lakers will only use first-round picks to secure All-Star-level talent