LA Lakers News Roundup: LeBron James' future with the Purple and Gold is uncertain, eminent NBA analyst would pick Anthony Davis over the reigning two-time MVP, and more - June 15th, 2022
There is no doubt that the LA Lakers are one of the biggest organizations in sports history. The Purple and Gold are dominating basketball media even though the NBA Finals are ongoing with a pivotal Game 6 on Thursday.
The Golden State Warriors won Game 5 at home and now lead the series 3-2 against the Boston Celtics. The Warriors' Steph Curry is the overwhelming Finals MVP favorite, and Boston's Jaylen Brown is outperforming his superstar teammate.
Yet, the news cycles are interested in focusing on Anthony Davis' offseason routine. Laker Nation is never satisfied, and the LeBron James-led team is under a microscope this summer. Let's take a look at some of the reported stories around the Purple and Gold from the last 24 hours.
Colin Cowherd believes LeBron James is interested in playing for the Golden State Warriors
There is a lot of uncertainty around LeBron James' future with the LA Lakers.
James is playing at an elite level, but the cast around him is playing subpar. The Lakers finished 11th in the West, missing even the play-in tournament. James has been complimenting Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors a lot on social media. And Fox Sports analyst Colin Cowherd believes James is interested in moving to San Francisco.
On "The Herd with Colin Cowherd," he said:
"This is the first year in LeBron’s last 15 where his team has zero chance to compete for the championship. ... He’s watching the Warriors, and they have the best starting five on any given night, they have three emerging stars underneath, they have maybe the best coach in the league.
"I absolutely believe that LeBron is trying to speak something into existence, and that’s Golden State. He sees the dysfunction (in Los Angeles), he sees the roster, he sees the Westbrook salary cap issue, he sees Anthony Davis’ health. He’s going to throw it out there again, again and again how much he would like to play with Steph and the Warriors.”
Is LeBron campaigning a move to the Warriors?
"I absolutely believe he's trying to speak something into existence, that's Golden State... To me, it feels obvious." — @ColinCowherd https://t.co/f7fRNyaYyg
LeBron James might leave the LA Lakers in the summer
LeBron James might not stay in Los Angeles to end his career. He is still playing at an elite level and made the MVP conversation even at the age of 37. He needs to play for a team that is in "win-now" mode and not sinking into lottery status. The LA Lakers are not headed in the right direction, and James is evidently upset at the constant losing.
According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report:
"The Lakers are stuck without a commitment from James, whose contract expires after the 2022-23 season. Competing executives and agents do not expect the team to get clarity from James ahead of the (June 23) draft and free agency (in July)."
It's looking like the Lakers will go into free agency not knowing if LeBron James will be signing an extension or not.
lakersnation.com/lakers-rumors-… https://t.co/DrKAX89hgQ
Stephen A. Smith would pick Anthony Davis over Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic
Analyst Stephen A. Smith gave a controversial take, saying he would pick Anthony Davis over reigning two-time MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets. He also said he would take him over Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, and it certainly sparked a debate.
Smith insisted that AD is a top seven player in the league when he is healthy, but Davis' injury woes make it hard to judge his talent. On ESPN's "First Take," Smith said:
"Remember, the caveat is 'when healthy.'… I’d take Anthony Davis over Luka. I’d take Anthony Davis over Jokic. Yes, I would."
.@stephenasmith defends his argument that AD is a top-7 player in the NBA when he’s healthy.
“I’d take Anthony Davis over Luka. I’d take Anthony Davis over Jokic. Yes I would.” https://t.co/jPAlTagZlf