LeBron James Has Laid Foundation For Lakers Divorce

It’s apparently easy to be The King.

LeBron James, who spent the summer auditioning potential free agents and settled on Russell Westbrook, is fed up with the Los Angeles Lakers for not upgrading the roster, and sitting out of trade deadline on February 10th.

The acquisition of Westbrook over the summer cost the Lakers a pretty penny, including most of last season’s depth which has deeply affected them this year. There were cheaper, and better, options on the table, such as current MVP-candidate DeMar DeRozan, but James made his decision on Westbrook which has epically backfired. 

The Lakers are 27-31, projected with just the 12th-best odds to win the championship and with the trade deadline now over, they can no longer shop youngster Talen Horton-Tucker for immediate upgrades.

Of course, there’s a reasonable argument to be made that not trading Horton-Tucker is the smart play, especially if James were to dictate the return and once again showcase his flawed talent evaluation process. Why give up a rock solid young prospect to make a play for yet another old player who may no longer be the same version as before? 

Because make no mistake – James has routinely sought out players similar in age as himself, believing experience and former glory to be crucial elements in a championship run.

While experience does matter, there’s a limit. The current version of the Lakers have more experience than perhaps any other team in the history of the league, but what good has it done them when the talent and athletic ability of those experienced players have slowly evaporated?

There’s a reason Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard signed minimum contracts. The days of them earning top dollar are over. Neither player would have turned down the chance of signing wealthy paychecks, had they been offered by other teams.

This is what James does. He barrels through an organization, puts them on the map for a few years, wins them a championship or two, and leaves after depleting their entire asset trove. The teams are left picking up the pieces, often having to spend years rebuilding, with little maneuverability.

Is it a trade-off most teams are willing to live with given the ever-eluding championship?

For the Cavaliers, a small-market team that without James would most likely still be chasing their first title, it’s absolutely worth it.

For the Lakers, one of the most historic and accomplished franchises in the history of sports, probably not. Especially if James also drags their reputation through the mud in the meantime. 

After all, why should the Lakers’ front office accept full responsibility for this season, when James was a driving force in building the team in the first place? It’s one thing to turn the blind eye if you’re on the path towards a championship, another if you’re four games under .500 and aren’t even guaranteed a playoff spot.

James’ inability to take ownership of his own misjudged decision, while intentionally turning the Lakers front office into scapegoats, is something that should lead to a high-profile divorce in the summer.

Of course, the front office and ownership are far from blameless, having signed onto the Westbrook experience willingly. Criticism should fall at their feet for that. Instead of playing to James’ whistle, they should have had the guts to stand up and tell The King no.

They should have told him his evaluation of Westbrook was off. They should have told him it would make a bad fit. They should have told him he has never flourished with that archetype of player before. And if they somehow agreed with James’ assessment of Westbrook, that too deserves criticism.

That falls on them.

But for James to keep pushing this narrative of front office incompetence, which is a blatant attempt at him coming out smelling like roses, is presenting the public with a gross misinterpretation of the course of events. 

The best road forward for all is to acknowledge the Westbrook experiment failed, and for both sides to come together and start over for next season.

As it stands, however, that seems optimistic. Way too optimistic.

James’ avoidance of his own responsibility, combined with the Lakers’ need of coming off as being an in-control historical franchise, is ultimately going to crash. More than likely, it’ll lead to James playing in new colors next season.

For the Lakers front office, reading the tea leaves will be crucial. James is signed through next season at $44.4 million and is currently not in possession of a no-trade clause, which means the Lakers have full control over his destiny, should they wish to trade him.

Of course, that conversation isn’t for now. And any trade would likely happen in dialogue with James and his people as to appease everyone. That said, James’ pressure on the Lakers, and his refusal to take responsibility of his own role in this season, isn’t exactly a strong sign of a continued working relationship.