Nick Wright lashes out at LA Lakers for wasting LeBron James' final years: "It's an insult to one of the greatest players"
LeBron James is having yet another great season in his 20th year in the NBA. Despite strong play from James and co-star Anthony Davis, the Los Angeles Lakers are just 17-21. NBA analyst Nick Wright criticized the Lakers front office for their unwillingness to include future first-round picks in offers to improve the roster.
Speaking on Fox Sports' First Things First, Wright stated:
"If going into the season, we said, AD was going to be the best he's been and LeBron was going to look like he did 10 years ago, can we maybe sacrifice the 2029 first [round pick] to get the team better? Bonus points, the Warriors are not running away with it, no one's running away with it, and the teams at the top of the conference have no championship pedigree whatsoever.
"The Suns are in free fall, the Warriors are mediocre, and the idea that you won't do it because you've decided the new Lakers 6.0 are going to be built through the draft like the Thunder is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard, and it's an insult to one of the greatest players who's ever played the game."
While the Los Angeles Lakers have not made any moves to upgrade their roster, none of their potential targets have been moved. The front office appears to be holding out hope that they can use their future first-round draft picks in a deal if a star becomes available.
Watch Nick Wright's full comments on the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James below:
"If we said going into the season: AD's going to be the best he's been, LeBron's going to look like he did 10 yrs ago, can we maybe sacrifice the 2029 first to get the team better?!"
— @getnickwright compares LeBron's 2022-23 with 1 of the greatest players ever in a blind reveal https://t.co/9Pu9uF1PvB
Can LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers compete for a title?
LeBron James has been nothing short of spectacular as he is averaging 29.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game. The four-time NBA MVP is shooting 51.0% from the field, 30.1% from 3-point range, and 75.2% from the free-throw line.
LeBron’s last 11 Games:
35 PTS - 5 REB - 5 AST
33 PTS - 9 REB - 9 AST
30 PTS - 9 REB - 4 AST
33 PTS - 7 REB - 9 AST
31 PTS - 6 REB - 11 AST
34 PTS - 2 REB - 8 AST
38 PTS - 6 REB - 5 AST
28 PTS - 7 REB - 5 AST
27 PTS - 9 REB - 6 AST
47 PTS - 10 REB - 9 AST
43 PTS - 11 REB - 6 AST https://t.co/yVI81EBl7d
James' co-star, Anthony Davis, has also been great, averaging 27.4 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.3 steals, and 2.1 blocks per game while shooting 59.4% from the field and 82.6% from three-point range. But the two stars have not gotten much help, as the Los Angeles Lakers are just 17-21 and 12th in the Western Conference.
All hope is not lost, however, as the Lakers are just one game back from a spot in the play-in tournament and three and a half games back of being a top-six seed. As things stand, the front office appears willing to stand pat, but that could change soon.
Several stars who signed contract extensions this past offseason, including Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal, and Zach LaVine, will be eligible to be traded on January 15. The Lakers are likely waiting to see what happens with such players before trading away their best assets. Teaming any of the aforementioned players with LeBron James and Anthony Davis would improve the roster much more than any of the trades that they have refused to make.