Sam Amick claims LA Lakers are in dire need of upgrading roster for LeBron James: "Jeanie Buss & Rob Pelinka are under no obligation to do a bad deal"
LeBron James is having a great season in his 20th year in the league. The LA Lakers star is eighth in the NBA in scoring, as he is averaging 29.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game while shooting 51.0% from the field.
Despite James' performance, the Lakers are just 19-22 and currently in 12th place in the Western Conference. They are only half a game behind the top-10 seed, which would ensure them a position in the play-in tournament. More importantly, they are only two games behind a top-six seed, which would allow them to avoid the play-in tournament altogether.
Speaking on The Crossover NBA Show, NBA analyst Sam Amick, who recently interviewed LeBron, stated that he feels the Lakers should feel obligated to make a trade, stating:
"I feel like they should and honestly that was the spirit of the conversation with LeBron. Me admitting to him that what he has done on the court, at the age of 38, like so many other people, I have been amazed and I think if you're in his shoes, you have every right to feel like it is time to do something to upgrade this roster."
He added:
"Now, the qualifier I will give is this - Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, president of basketball ops Rob Pelinka are under no obligation to do a bad deal, something that hinders their future and doesn't make the Lakers a contender right now."
Amick added that his conversation with the Laker star led him to believe LeBron James and the front office have not communicated regarding potential upgrades, stating:
"He kept talking about the idea that he's going to focus on every game, focus on the locker room. I think they should be sharing what comes in front of them possibility wise and having a collaborative effort here to try to make the most of this Laker season because he has been that great. Don't do a bad deal, but be doing everything you can to do something."
The Lakers have shown a reluctance to include their 2027 and 2029 picks in any deal unless they receive a star in return.
Watch Sam Amick discuss the LA Lakers' need to upgrade the roster around LeBron James below (starting at the 0:45 mark):
LeBron James responds to Sam Amick's article
Sam Amick interviewed LeBron James and described the four-time NBA MVP's patience as waning. The LA Lakers star took to Twitter to dispute the journalist's claims, stating:
"Hey Sam actually my patience isn’t waning. You make it sound like I’m frustrated when I’m really not. I told you over and over, my job is focused on the guys in the locker room, my job isn’t the roster. That’s the reality of that conversation. And I said what I said with the Upmost respect and calmness cause that’s the mood I’m in! Your welcome! 5 game winning streak. 😉👑"
The Lakers have turned things around following a 2-10 start to the season. With Anthony Davis nearing a return to the court, many believe that the team isn't as far off as things initially appeared.
Check out LeBron James' tweets below:
Hey Sam actually my patience isn’t waning. You make it sound like I’m frustrated when I’m really not. I told you over and over, my job is focused on the guys in the locker room, my job isn’t the roster. That’s the reality of that conversation. And I said what I said with the twitter.com/sam_amick/stat…
Upmost respect and calmness cause that’s the mood I’m in! Your welcome! 5 game winning streak. 😉👑