Report: LeBron James, Anthony Davis ‘Concerned’ with Lakers’ Ability to Make Upgrades
Faced with the possibility of having to go through the play-in tournament once again just to make the postseason, the duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis are uneasy about the Los Angeles Lakers’ chances of making moves prior to the trade deadline.
Per ESPN’s , James and Davis are “growing concerned” about the Lakers’ ability to make “significant” additions before Feb. 6.
Charania’ report comes on the heels of The Athletic’s writing on Tuesday that the “sense” from people around the NBA is the Lakers are more likely to either stand pat or make a “half-measure” deal rather than try to go all-in.
The Lakers have first-round picks available in 2029 and 2031 they can include in a trade, but they’ve been reluctant for a long time to use those whenever the subject has come up.
General manager Rob Pelinka in September they would need to get a return that helps them achieve “sustained Lakers excellence” in order to move those draft picks.
Charania noted both James and Davis have expressed their desire for the front office to make moves because they believe the Lakers are “potentially a piece or two away” from competing for a championship.
A big part of the problem for the Lakers—or any team trying to make a big in-season addition—is there don’t seem to be many significant needle-moving players available right now.
Jimmy Butler is the best of the bunch, but there’s been nothing to indicate the Lakers are even trying to get in on the bidding for the six-time All-Star. Cam Johnson would fit on every contender as a wing defender shooting 41.9 percent from three-point range, but the for him looks to be very competitive.
The Lakers already made a deal with the Brooklyn Nets to address their wing depth by acquiring Dorian Finney-Smith on Dec. 29. He’s starting to get comfortable in his new home, averaging 7.1 points on 41.9 percent three-point shooting in eight games off the bench.
Heading into Thursday’s game against the Boston Celtics, the Lakers (23-18) hold a one game lead over the Dallas Mavericks for the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference. They have made the playoffs out of the play-in tournament each of the past two seasons.
