Will LeBron James request a trade? 🤔 Windy says MULTIPLE TEAMS would make offers 👀 | NBA Today

Will LeBron James request a trade? 🤔 Windy says MULTIPLE TEAMS would make offers 👀 | NBA Today

All right, so here’s what we know. We know that LeBron James opted into his $52.6 million player option for next season, which could make it easier for him to move if there was a sign-in trade that would have been available. Maybe. Uh, I don’t know about that. The next order of business is extending Luca Donic, who will become eligible to sign a projected 4-year $222 million extension on August 2nd. With no extension, he could become a free agent next off season. And then there’s Austin Reeves. Technically extension eligible, but he can only extend for up to 89 million over four seasons. That likely won’t get done since next year he could sign for a projected 240 million over 5 years. A lot of money can change here. Rob Pelinka certainly has his work cut out for him. Joining us now is our reporter covering the Los Angeles Lakers, Dave McMenan. Dave, I just posed a lot of hypotheticals. Could be, might be easier. Sign and trade. This is what could happen. This is what won’t. Can you just shed some light on what the Lakers plan is here because there has not been a whole lot of action.
Well, we came into the segment talking about LeBron who’s a wing, Luca Donis, who’s a wing, uh Austin Reeves, who’s a wing. The Lakers still need a center and we’re in day two of free agency. I spoke to a source with familiarity what the Lakers are thinking today and they’re weighing several trade scenarios, I’m told, to try to acquire this center. one of which and now I I don’t have the name so we just have to you know maybe rely on Bobby and the trade machine here that they are talking to a team that thinks they think we’ll be going about after another trade and that other trade will end up having a surplus center for that team and then the Lakers can approach them
okay I follow that now we’re make we’re playing Tetris with a team that could be making a trade and then the Lakers can slot in with this trade you called for Bobby Marks let’s bring him in now Bobby make this make This makes sense.
I don’t know what Dave just said we can do on the trade machine as far as going there and here and here. But we’re just we’re going to bring it to free agency. First, then let’s keep it simple. Free agency touchscreen here. We’re This is where the Lakers are. This 182 number because they signed Jake Laoravia to that exception yesterday. They cannot exceed 195. So, we’re playing with $13 million in salary. Here are your free agents that are left on the board. It has shrunk considerably. Mo Vagner, DeAndre and Al Horford, we think is spoken for already. Larry Nance Jr. has signed in Cleveland. He is off the board. And of course, Tristan Thompson who has been already. DeAndre Aton is the name to keep an eye on. He’s the best available likely in this range here. This seven and a half million dollars because when you put eight and in that gives you the enough flexibility about $6 million under that hard cap, you are restricted first apron hard cap to go out and add players to your roster. From a trade perspective here, Dave, we want to talk about that. You have all these expiring contracts. Ruy Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Maxi Cleber, right? Certainly, you have young players like Dalton Connect. You have your 2031 or 2032 first. So, you have the the trade assets if you want to go out and try to get that center that might be available out there.
Okay. So, the simplest answer to this question it seems like right now is DeAndre Aiden. UD, does that do it for you and does it do it in your mind for for Luca?
DeAndre Aiden does it for me size-wise, but he doesn’t do it for me when you want to unlock Luca. When you want to give Luca his best chance to be his best version, Lucas thrives with vertical spacing. He needs a guy that’s going to roll to the basket, make some lobs, get defenses to overreact, then he can play his game in the pocket and do what he does best. And also, it opens up shooters. DeAndre Aiden is a guy who wants to get the ball in the post. He wants to get to the mid-range. He wants to play his game. He ain’t getting the ball. The ball going to be in Luca hand. The ball going to be in LeBron hand. The ball going to be in Austin Reeves hand. You don’t have to roll your ass to the basket. And that’s what he needs to do. And that is not his game. I like the size. I don’t like the fit.
You know who needs a surplus center?
The Lakers. Because they don’t need just one center. They probably need two centers. Because if you look at the teams in the Western Conference, do you see Houston? Houston’s got a bunch of centers. Do you see the Clippers? They got a bunch of
Even what Denver just did.
Yeah.
Why do you think they do that? Because they need to beat the Thunder, to beat the Nuggets, to beat the Rockets, you got to have size. Size and depth. So, yeah, they may be able to sign one of these free agents. Maybe they get DeAndre Aiden. Fact that Milwaukee ended up making this big move today was potentially helpful to the Lakers because the Lakers the Bucks were a contender for DeAndre Aiden, but they might need to do a trade and a signing to build up the roster on this team. Brian, who ended the season, sorry, remote who ended the season playing the five for the Lakers?
It was like a bunch of guys who were not fives. Was it like LeBron, Dorian Finny Smith?
Smith. Exactly. Who’s on Houston right now? So, yeah. I mean, look, they were one of the finalists for Brook Lopez. We were all surprised that they didn’t get Brook Lopez, but from what I understand, the uncertainty around LeBron James’ situation that that quote caused that everything is that out we’ve all been talking about for three days since the quote was issued has factored into Brook Lopez’s decision. I mean, when you’re thinking about, look, Brook Lopez is starting center in the NBA. He chose a backup role with the Los Angeles Clippers. Yeah, I think it was a little more money,
but with they did Jake Larabia first. They could have gotten Brooke if they if if they would have prioritized Brooke, but in the back. No, Absury and Milwaukee factored into his decision as well, but the Lakers were thought of as the front runner for Brook Lopez and didn’t get him and the Los Angeles Clippers did because there’s been a lot of uncertainty around them after that statement was issued.
I mean, somebody just helped me understand this. Two two things can be true. I understand where LeBron is in his career and I understand what his priority is, rightfully so. I also understand where the LA Lakers are and what their priorities are, rightfully so. How realistic is it that Braun leaves? Because I don’t think it’s a chance in hell Braun going anywhere. So, how realistic is that people who has the assets and who has the money to actually make that work?
Yeah. And if you’re Brooks,
if you’re Brook Lopez and you’re making that decision without getting you want to take a chance, it’s visceral, right?
So, so I also think it’s important to note here, of course, you’re totally right. The Lakers had very keen interest in Brook Lopez once he came off the board. they are shifting towards an idea. I’m told the thesis is youth and athleticism. And so obviously DeAndre Aton would fit that. Some of that thinking is look at the two teams that played in the NBA finals. The Oklahoma City who are in the Western Conference, the Lakers have to contend with and the Indiana Pacers. Switchable young defenders about multiple bodies coming at you in waves and they are trying to achieve a center that can play that way.
I I’m kind of in the same boat. It’s hard for me to see LeBron James leaving the Los Angeles Lakers just because we laid out all of the possible options here. There just aren’t that many. And so if that’s the case, then you’re trying to dual path building to make LeBron James happy now, building around Luca Donich in the future. A lot of that comes back to a rim running center that can catch lobs. There’s a whole lot of questions the Lakers have to answer.
We earlier we had Shams and Ramona talk about how Giannis was just chilling and watching the offseason. Yeah,
I am told LeBron’s just chilling and watching the off season. Do I think he’s going to get traded? No, I do not. But if he wanted to get traded, there are teams who would step up and make offers.
So those two things I think are true.
And if LeBron speaks up and for for himself and has a different thing to say, then we could have some action. But I don’t know if that’ll happen.
Brian, what was that graphic on Luca Donuch? August 2nd, he has a contract decision to make. So they should be looking to make Luca happy in the now as well, not just LeBron happy in the now. And that is the juggling act that the Los Angeles Lakers are trying to do. We can all agree on this though. Summer league is coming up.

Bobby Marks, Brian Windhorst, Dave McMenamin, Ramona Shelburne and Udonis Haslem join Malika Andrews on NBA Today’s Free Agency Special to discuss the Los Angeles Lakers’ plans to sign a center and the possibility of LeBron James leaving.

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