NBA Trade Rumors: LA Lakers have received trade inquiries for LeBron James; Lakers prefer extending his contract
According to a report from NBA insider Marc Stein, the LA Lakers have received trade inquiries for 37-year-old superstar LeBron James. Stein reported that there has "never been any indication" that the Lakers would trade LeBron and that the team still hopes to sign him to a contract extension.
"Despite calls from the outside to trade LeBron James, there has never been any indication that the Lakers would contemplate trading him rather than extending him," Stein reported.
James and the Lakers have their eyes set on the upcoming season. After a disappointing previous year, the Lakers are hoping to bounce back in the Western Conference.
Despite having talented pieces, the Lakers went 33-49 and finished 11th in the Western Conference. The hope is that the team can put that behind, especially with James set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Despite calls from the outside to trade LeBron James, there has never been any indication that the Lakers would contemplate trading him rather than extending him.
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LA Lakers hope to extend LeBron James
The fact that the Lakers have received trade inquiries for LeBron James is sure to draw plenty of headlines. It's not a surprising development given the current situation of the organization. The Lakers are desperate to bounce back and become a contender again in the Western Conference.
Although James will be turning 38 in December, he's still a dominant force on the court. Last season, he averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game while shooting 52.4%.
The Lakers continue to look to upgrade the roster. With a lack of future draft capital, it's proved to be problematic for the team. For now, it looks as if it would be a surprise if any serious trade negotiations involving James progressed.
Add LeBron James' contract extension to the Kevin Durant/Kyrie Irving/Donovan Mitchell/Russell Westbrook transactional sagas in an NBA August not exactly as dormant as advertised ... here's the full breakdown in your latest This Week In Basketball column: marcstein.substack.com/p/decision-timβ¦
The Lakers have the roster to make a run in the Western Conference, but they will need to stay healthy. James and fellow superstar Anthony Davis have missed an extended number of games in recent years.
James has played in 223 of 307 games in his four seasons as a Laker. He played in 56 of 82 last season. Davis has played 194 of 307 in the past four seasons, three of them in Los Angeles. Davis played just 40 games last season due to knee and ankle injuries.
Despite winning the 2020 title, the Lakers are mired in the worst stretch in franchise history, with losing records in seven of the past nine seasons.