"This is who we have": LeBron James' latest response to Lakers' potential trade deadline moves hints team will stay put
Last week, LA Lakers superstar forward LeBron James seemingly hinted that trades could be on the horizon for his team ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline. However, with the deadline just a few days away, James isn’t interested in discussing LA’s trade prospects.
On Monday, the Lakers secured their third straight win, defeating the Charlotte Hornets 124-118 on the road. Despite the victory, they sit just ninth in the Western Conference (27-25), with plenty of room for improvement on both ends of the court.
The team ranks just 20th in offensive rating (113.6) and 14th in defensive rating (114.6). Given their shortcomings, many have called for the Lakers to add shooting, wing defense and interior defense before the deadline.
However, James is not publically calling for any trades. When asked about LA potentially being active at the deadline, the four-time MVP instead hinted that the team could remain as is.
“This is who we have, so there's nothing else to talk about,” James said.
A reporter followed up by asking James if the Lakers have enough to win a championship as constructed. However, the 20-time All-Star declined to answer the question and instead raved about his teammates, before shifting the focus to LA’s next game.
“That's not a question for me. I love who we have in the locker room, and that's all I worry about ... I don't get caught up in that,” James said.
“We're gonna go out and prepare ourselves every single night, no matter who's out there. It's my job and it's AD's job as the two captains to make sure we keep the main thing the main thing, and the main focus is Thursday's game at home. We look forward to that matchup.”
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LeBron James seemingly changes course following cryptic tweet
Before LA’s three-game winning streak, LeBron James made headlines for tweeting an hourglass emoji after the team’s 138-122 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday. Many interpreted the cryptic tweet as a warning that he was losing patience with his team.
However, given his recent comments backing up his teammates, it appears that the four-time NBA champion’s mindset has shifted amid LA’s winning streak.
Notably, the Lakers next play on Thursday night after the 3 p.m. trade deadline. They will try to win their fourth straight game at home against the defending champion Denver Nuggets in a nationally televised TNT matchup.
It remains to be seen if the team will shake up its roster before then.
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