"Jeanie Buss needs to fire Rob Pelinka" - Podcaster bluntly demands Lakers to trade LeBron James & Anthony Davis to kickstart rebuild
LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the LA Lakers suffered an embarrassing 134-93 loss to the Miami Heat on Wednesday. Two nights before the defeat, they were also blown away by the Minnesota Timberwolves 109-80. In both losses, the Lakers executed poorly and were lethargic, particularly on the defensive end.
In the “Hoops Tonight with Jason Timpf,” the host had this to say about what team governor Jeanie Buss should do:
“I think they should trade LeBron [James] and AD [Davis]. Start the rebuild. Jeanie Buss needs to fire Rob Pelinka and hire somebody who actually understands basketball and they need a fresh start.”
Timpf continued:
“They need to completely break this thing down. They need to completely reinvest in JJ Redick and a new front office.”
The LA Lakers have built the team around LeBron James since the four-time MVP arrived in 2018. After failing to make the playoffs, the Lakers traded for Anthony Davis to pair with King James. The pair promptly delivered a championship.
Since then, they haven’t had much success- losing to Phoenix in the first round in 2021 and failing to make the playoffs in 2022 despite adding Russell Westbrook. LA reached the conference semis in 2023 but was swept by the Denver Nuggets. Nikola Jokic sent them home again via a gentleman’s sweep in the first round of the 2024 postseason.
The Lakers fired Darvin Ham and replaced him with JJ Redick but largely kept the same roster. Rookies Dalton Knecht and Bronny James were the notable additions to the lineup. After a 3-0 start, the team is 12-10 following back-to-back blowout losses to the Timberwolves and Heat.
The LA Lakers are stuck with LeBron James and Anthony Davis
As long as LeBron James keeps playing, the Lakers are stuck with him. He has a no-trade clause in his contract. With James in the lineup, Anthony Davis is almost untouchable.
AD signed a three-year, $175.3 million deal in August 2023 that includes a $62.7 million player option heading into the 2027-28 season. Considering Davis’ massive pay and injury history, trading him would be tough.
Per Spotrac, LeBron James and Anthony Davis make up 64.7% of the Lakers’ salary cap this season and 39.0% in the next, if the four-time champ opts into a $52.6 million player option. The combined salaries of the two give the Lakers little flexibility to improve the roster this season. They are only $30K below the second apron.
LA’s franchise cornerstones are arguably among the top 20 players in the NBA. They have an impact that transcends the basketball court, making them valuable even if the team isn’t performing well. The Lakers anchored their future on James and Davis and are seemingly ready to sink or swim with the superstars they are stuck with.