NBA Trade Idea: Spurs Acquire LeBron James, Bronny James From Lakers
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LeBron James and Bronny James going from the Los Angeles Lakers to the San Antonio Spurs? Why not, says NBA writer Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report.
Bailey proposed the following trade idea between the Lakers and Spurs:
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, a 2031 first-round pick swap with the Sacramento Kings (that San Antonio acquired in the DeMar DeRozan trade) and a 2032 first-round pick swap
San Antonio Spurs Receive: LeBron James and Bronny James
LeBron has a no-trade clause in his contract. He would have to request a trade from the Lakers to the Spurs for this NBA trade idea to work.
“Victor Wembanyama, when healthy, is already good enough to compete for a championship,” Bailey wrote. “With the right roster around him as a centerpiece, San Antonio could realistically contend. And while this move could hamper the team’s depth, replacing two role players with one of the greatest offensive engines of all time would nudge the Spurs closer to the ‘right roster.’
“This is a supercharged (and supersized) version of what San Antonio just did with Chris Paul. LeBron would make Wemby’s life significantly easier on the offensive end, set him up for plenty of wide-open looks and attract more defensive attention than any of his current teammates. There’s a lot of positional and skill overlap with LeBron, De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, but a wealth of creation is better than a dearth. And having LeBron would make it easier (though not necessarily critical) to trade one of the above for shooting.”
The Lakers are building around Luka Dončić, the 26-year-old superstar who just signed a three-year, $165 million extension this past weekend. This NBA trade idea surrounds Dončić with more depth and gives LeBron and Bronny a new home with arguably the next face of the league in Wembanyama.
LeBron is 40. He turns 41 in December. The Akron native is the oldest active player in the NBA, but you wouldn’t know that by watching him play. LeBron averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.6 blocks for the Lakers last season.