Is LeBron James sending Lakers a WARNING with reaction to Deandre Ayton signing? | NBA

Is LeBron James sending Lakers a WARNING with reaction to Deandre Ayton signing? | NBA

So Aiden is getting settled in in LA. Um getting all comfy and all that. Luca sent him a welcome message. Um you know, welcome to LA, DeAndre. Aiden, decided to play with you next year. LeBron James not said anything to him, though. Is there something to read into here? It’s not nothing. Yeah. Uh, so this DeAndre did this interview two days ago, I think, or one, whatever it was. The interview that he did, we played a piece of on the TV show yesterday. Um, and we did not play this piece because it was a radio interview in LA and I, you know, I hadn’t I didn’t know that this was said. So, credit to whomever clipped this and you know, posted it because I didn’t I hadn’t listened to the full 15 minute or whatever radio interview it was. Uh, and so I had only seen kind of what had made mainstream, so to speak. But I saw this and I was like, “Oh, well that’s something.” So, and the reason it’s something is because it is either, how do I phrase this properly? LeBron’s not going to be there. Well, doesn’t need to talk to him. It it it’s not that is so that is by no means like oh lock it in because of that this but it certainly added a little more fuel to the idea that LeBron James might not be a Laker next year that it’s that so if famously or I shouldn’t I don’t know if it’s famous but at least to me it is LeBron when he announced he was going back to Cleveland and he did it with Lee Jenkins in an SI article. He listed all the guys he was excited to be playing with with the Cavs and he had not listed number one overall pick from a week prior, Andrew Wiggins. And one way to read that was the article was written before the draft or that he was, you know, he was only thinking about or including the active veterans. And another way to look at it was LeBron expected that they would be trading Wiggins as part of getting a veteran win now guy. And that is exact. And so he did not want to include Andrew Wiggins when he did not think he was ever going to be playing with Andrew Wiggins, which is uh exactly what they did. So here are before I give my opinion on what I what I think this actually is, let’s lay out all of the available options for this and we can, you know, put a percentage on each of them at the end. Option one, busy guy forgot. That’s like again like these are not power ranked in order. I’m just saying if if we want to lay out all of the possibilities, right? Option one, busy guy forgot. I guess option two is not that busy, didn’t forget, but has some feud with DeAndre Eaton we didn’t know about and he’s furious about this trade. I would say of all these that’s probably the least likely. I think if there was a DeAndre 8 and LeBron beef, we would have known about it, right? Option three, he did and DeAndre didn’t see the text. DeAndre is wrong. He cuz he said Luca texted him and LeBron didn’t. So, he didn’t say anyone talked to him on the phone. It missed the text. got so many texts that, you know, when the news broke that he got a text from a number that he didn’t have and he was like, “Yo, congrats, man. Let’s get it.” And he was like, “Okay, whatever.” And it turns out that’s LeBron James. Again, I these are not power ranked in order. I’m just trying to lay out all of the available possibilities. Those first three, by the way, slim to very, very slim, but they’re on the possibilities. All right. Now the more salacious ones uh that LeBron does not want to tell DeAndre Aton excited to play with you when he does not know if he will be playing with him. And then the last option is LeBron wants to expects to be playing with DeAndre Aton, but wants to keep maximum pressure on the Lakers to make every move possible to make their team better going into this year. And the only leverage he has over them right now is the spectre of well maybe I don’t think I’m going to be on this team. That to me those are the those five possibilities cover you know 99% of the call it a 100% of what the reason could be. Here’s how I would apply the likelihood of each. My first draft pick of that would be LeBron thinks he’s going to be on the Lakers. did not reach out to DeAndre because he had a feeling it would be public become public that he had not yet reached out to DeAndre and wants to keep the pressure on Rob Pelinka to continue to improve the roster which if we’re being honest they have had a underwhelming off season. On that note, if I may, then I’ll get back to the percentages parts cuz Brew and I got into this yesterday. Going into this off season, we felt like the Lakers, it was an absolute lock and mandatory that they upgrade the center position. They did do that and they did that in an interesting way where they didn’t have to give up assets where it didn’t cost them a lot of money and the talent upside is quite high. But it’s also a guy who’s six years into his career has been unreliable and not that mature and really alienated teammates and coaches. So I really think that LeBron James is like, “Man, y’all got DeAndre Aiden. That’s not the center I wanted. I’m not texting him. I’m not welcoming this guy to the team. Oh, so you Oh, so you think Oh, I should have included that one, I guess, as an option. That LeBron is LeBron is pissed that it was Aiden. Yeah. Oh, so I didn’t actually So, the reason I didn’t even think of that, but that’s obvious. I definitely should have. I guess that’s kind of that, you know, in the bucket thief, right? Oh, yeah. Yeah, for sure. Um, so here’s the reason that I’m I don’t put a pin in that real quick and let me finish this other thought, then we’ll get to that one cuz that’s good. I’m glad you mentioned that one. Um, so they did get a center and we can argue about if it was their best option, if it was the best of bad options, whatever it is, but the rest of the roster not only remained basically unchanged, but got a touch worse because switching out Dorian Finny Smith for Jake Loravia is at at the very least in the short term a downgrade. And so there would be real frustration there. So, I would put LeBron expects to be a Laker but wants to keep the screws on the Lakers to continue to make moves as the reason for him not reaching out. I would put that at 65%. I think that is the biggest percentage here. I would put LeBron didn’t reach out because he does not think he’s going to be a Laker next year at 20%. I think there is a one in5 shot right now that LeBron thinks, “Yeah, I’m not going to be on the team.” Now, that’s not that’s that’s not huge, but it’s not nothing. It’s, you know, more likely than rolling a single die and rolling a a six or any number on the any particular number on the die. So 65% he’s trying to keep the pressure on him. 20% he um he doesn’t think he’s going to be there. I will give Deonz’s he, you know, this is not the player he wanted and therefore he didn’t reach out at 5%. I will certainly massively upgrade Deon’s theory if we found out he did reach out to Jake Loravia. If like he was like, “Yo, man, let’s get it.” Uh um then then then your likelihood is way way higher. I will put it at busy guy just didn’t do it at 5%. And that leaves what? Oh, that leaves five more percent left. And I will put it at he did reach out. DeAndre Eaton didn’t have the number saved and did not know it was LeBron. It was like why is this person texting me with a crown? um at 4%. And I will put there is a longstanding maybe based maybe out of loyalty to his buddy Chris Paul DeAndre Aton beef at 1%. So that’s that’s how I handicap this whole thing. It’s not nothing though. That’s my takeaway. It’s not nothing. And I I am interested in the next time and you know because you know what’s also not nothing Deontz if we’re doing the not nothing meter the Lakers who sent out a bunch of press releases about a bunch of offseason moves. The Lakers not sending out a press release about LeBron opting into his player option. That’s also not nothing. Now, does that mean it’s everything? Of course. No, no, no, no. The press releases come from the team. Like, uh, your official press release is released by the team and sent to all NBA media. The most You want to know the most famous NBA press release ever? Hold on. I gota I got I want to quote it to you. Exactly. This is an alltime one. So Pat Pat Riley, who’s never My my light just fell. Do I still look okay? I hope so. Um the so Pat Riley on official in Miami Heat letterhead sent out to the league league coms and everyone covering the league um after Danny A uh took a shot at uh Pat Riley. So this is So here, let me give the background. Danny Ames told Boston, this is 2013. Danny A told Boston radio station WI LeBron James had no cause to challenge officials for failing to classify fouls assessed to Kirk Hinrich and Taj Gibson as flagrant. He said, quote, I think the referees got the calls right. I don’t think it was a hard foul. I think the one involving LeBron against Boozer, that was a flagrant. I think the officials got it right. I think that it’s almost embarrassing that LeBron would complain about officiating um and the So Danny A who was running the Celtics comments on the radio about something that was happening between the Heat and the Bulls. So Pat Riley has the Miami Heat press office type up an official press release that reads, and I quote, “Danny Ames needs to shut the [ __ ] up and manage his own team. He was the biggest whiner going when he was playing, and I know that because I coached against him.” End of statement. I like Pat at all time. At all time. I’ll take the fine, but I’ve never liked this guy. I coached against him. We now play against him. And I quote, “Danny Ames needs to shut the [ __ ] up and manage his own team. He was the biggest whiner going when he was playing. And I know that because I coached against him.” Oh my goodness gracious. Danny Ains then again, I don’t know why we’re doing this. A then replies, “I stand by what I said. That’s all. I don’t care about Pat Riley. He can say whatever he wants, but this is just Danny A talking. This isn’t a press release. This is Danny A.” And then A added, “I don’t want to mess up his Armani suits and all that hair goop. It would be way too expensive for me.” Um, and so I mean, this is uh that that’s so sorry about that. I mean, Pat Riley’s just such a legend. I mean, he’s just such a I c I remember when that came out and I was like, I didn’t even know that was like allowed like in official communications. I guess you know what a simpler time. [Music]

Nick Wright debates whether LeBron James is sending a message to Rob Pelinka and the Los Angeles Lakers by not welcoming Deandre Ayton to LA. What does this mean for Luka Doncic and the Lakers moving forward?

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