After LeBron James and Stephen Curry led the U.S. males’s basketball group to an Olympic gold medal over the summer season, rumors swirled that the 2 would someway grow to be teammates on the identical NBA group. In current days, these rumors have returned after Brian Windhorst reported that some NBA groups are questioning if James was open to Los Angeles Lakers commerce him this season.
It appears extraordinarily unlikely that James will ask to be traded, particularly since he can merely decide out of his contract this summer season and be part of a group of his alternative as a free agent.
On ESPN’s “First Take” Stephen A. Smith made it clear that he thinks James would not need to play on the identical group as Curry as a result of he thinks James harm the Lakers (h/t Clutch Factors).
“I don’t need to see it as a result of LeBron James doesn’t deserve it,” Smith mentioned. “Completely not. LeBron James would not need to be with Steph Curry. Here is why: Keep yo [expletive] proper there in Los Angeles. You received a championship within the bubble. I perceive that the next yr you misplaced within the first spherical. You had Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, you had a Kyle Kuzma, you had a Montrezl Harrell, you had an Alex Caruso. What are you doing? You let all these cats go since you wished your boy Russell Westbrook.
“Now, I am not throwing any shade at Russ, as a result of Russ regarded rattling good in a Clippers uniform. He appears to be like rattling good in a Denver Nuggets uniform. He did not look good with the Lakers. You wished that, you, LeBron James, and lots of the mobility that the Lakers might have had in case you had a few of these items, that is one thing that derailed this franchise.
Smith highlighted the facility James wields between himself and Klutch Sports activities to get his groups to make personnel strikes — not less than in response to the narrative.
“You see, we’re usually captivated by the greatness of LeBron James, the person participant, and he is on the Mount Rushmore of all time, I get it, there is not any shadow there. However we’re so captivated by his greatness as a participant that we do not pay sufficient consideration to the facility of his affect and the strikes he forces to make that serve to derail a franchise like he did in Los Angeles . No, you possibly can’t depart this and go to Golden State. Keep your [expletive] proper there in Southern California with Anthony Davis and discover out.
The Lakers presently seem to have a stable however incomplete roster, and so they presently sit in eighth place within the Western Convention. One might argue that they’re one or two strikes and a wholesome Jarred Vanderbilt away from turning into an excellent group, however many nonetheless suppose they’re, at greatest, a borderline play-in match group.
The 2021 commerce that despatched away Caldwell-Pope, Kuzma and Harrell for Westbrook actually left Los Angeles disadvantaged of great commerce capital. It’s believed that supervisor Rob Pelinka made this commerce at James’ request, and it was a catastrophe that resulted within the group lacking the play-in match through the 2021-22 marketing campaign.
This text was initially revealed on LeBron Wire: Stephen A. Smith: LeBron would not need to play with Stephen Curry
