In the city where he played for the longest period of his life, LeBron James should be considered one of the greatest Lakers players of all time.
However, by most accounts, it’s barely in the top ten.
James set the scoring record here, set the longevity record here, and won the long-awaited NBA championship here.
However, he generally ranks behind Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, James Worthy… and maybe even Pau Gasol?
When he likely leaves the team after this season, James should get a statue. He won’t do that. He should have a farewell match similar to Kobe Bryant’s final farewell. He won’t do that.
Over the course of eight amazing seasons, LeBron James has poured his soul into satisfying a passionate fan base that he continues to fill. crypto.com Arena is full of joy, light and tomahawk dunks at 41 years old.
However, most fans can’t wait for him to leave.
They’re tired of his drama, unconvinced of his loyalty, unhappy with the results, and ready to embrace the new faces of the franchise. One of those belongs to Austin Reeves, who was inadvertently incited against James this week during Unfortunate speculation From James’ agent and close friend Rich Paul.
Bottom line? If forced to choose between James and Reeves, it is expected that the majority would choose Reeves. If forced to keep James or Reeves, the Lakers will almost certainly keep Reeves.
These kind of questions will be important come the upcoming trade deadline on February 5, when, with the team going nowhere, perhaps James should realize his days here are numbered and consider lifting his no-trade clause.
If they’re not answered, the questions will arise again this summer, when Reeves becomes a free agent and could receive a max contract of $241 million over five years. The Lakers will pay him, which leaves James, who will also be a free agent and whose contract requires him to sit on the bench.
If James leaves the Lakers for any reason — retirement, or searching for a title elsewhere — the Lakers could sign Reeves and still have $50 million in cap space.
Think about that.
Lakers forward LeBron James hugs teammate Austin Reeves after being fouled on a three-pointer during a game against Utah.
(Gina Ferrazzi/Los Angeles Times)
Fifty million in the cap for a team that has already retained its top scorer? Are you kidding me?
If James gets out of the way, the Lakers can finally fully commit to retooling around Luka Doncic and Reeves.
Everything is very simple, isn’t it? It got complicated just this week when the struggling Lakers were suddenly exposed to the most damaging opinions during the most damaging times.
Paul appeared on his podcast about trading, of all people, Reeves.
In “Game Over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul”, Paul pointed out the advantages of trading Reeves to Memphis for Jaren Jackson Jr.
“It comes with a very unemotional attachment because Austin is likable, which is the way he should be, he’s an underdog,” Paul said on the podcast. “There’s a world where you can do what’s best for your team, and do what’s best for Austin. Because Austin deserves to get paid. Now, I love him as a Laker, but if this is a situation where we get the balance — because if you put all the money in just the backcourt and then your flexibility is restricted moving forward to fill out the rest of the team…”
Paul went so far as to say that Memphis would be the perfect place for Reeves.
“Memphis will definitely pay Austin,” Paul said. “He’ll be … probably their main goalkeeper and their main scorer, for sure. … But he’s definitely their highest-paid player.”
A similar opinion urging the Lakers to trade Reeves appeared in this column last summer, but that was written before Reeves began his breakout season, averaging 27 points per game on 51% shooting before being sidelined with a calf injury.
It’s hot. He has arrived. It’s him.
The idea of trading Reaves now seems foolish. Worse still, it sounds like an idea co-signed by James himself.
A Reaves trade would give James more touches. Acquiring Jackson would free up more space for James. The entire speculation can be summed up in one sentence that has nothing to do with Reeves or Jackson.
The Lakers have to do better for LeBron James.
No, they shouldn’t. No, they shouldn’t at all. However, this is what Paul was saying, and it would be naive to think that this is not what James had in mind, even though he denied any connection In an interview With ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
“I think you all know by now that Rich is his own man, and what Rich says is not a direct reflection of me or how I feel,” James told McMenamin. “And I hope people know that. I hope people know that, and if they’re not of the mind to know that, I don’t know what to tell them.”
In the same interview, James also expressed his love for Reeves. Smart man.
“AR knows how I feel about him,” James told McMenamin. “All you have to do is look at us on the bench. AR and I talk every day. So, AR knows how I feel about him and I hope AR – or his camp – doesn’t look at me and think these are words from me coming through Rich.”
It turns out that Reeves’ team thought those exact words came from James, and witnessed the brief courtside meeting between Reggie Perry, one of Reeves’ agents, and Paul during a Lakers game earlier this week. According to ESPN, Perry approached Paul looking for an explanation for his comments.
Later on his podcast, Paul said he told Perry: “I want Austin to know this isn’t about Austin Reeves because I love the player, I love the person.”
Everyone seems to love Austin Reeves, and he’s not going anywhere. Meanwhile, after another tumultuous week in the life of the passive-aggressive King, it feels like LeBron James is gone.