Source: Jeff Haynes / Getty
According to Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report, the Los Angeles Lakers briefly considered trading LeBron James last month.
Earlier this month, former head coach Jeff Van Gundy made headlines during an NBA broadcast when he suggested the Los Angeles Lakers should explore trading LeBron James.
Although he was laughed at by both of his ESPN colleagues, as it turns out, Van Gundy’s idea might not have been all that far fetched.
On Thursday, Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report published a story in which he explored what the 34-year-old James’ trade value would be. In doing so, he revealed that the Lakers even “contemplated” the idea last month due to frustration with James’ agent, Rich Paul, during their failed attempt to acquire All-Star Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans.
Per Bucher:
“The subject of moving James, however, was contemplated by the Lakers, a team source said, weeks before Van Gundy aired it. When rumors engulfed the team at the February trade deadline that it was willing to trade anyone other than James to acquire All-Star forward Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans, James’ agent, Rich Paul, was widely accused of spreading those rumors because Davis is also one of his clients. Paul denied to B/R that he leaked the Lakers’ interest in Davis, but [Jeanie] Buss suspected otherwise and was furious. The idea of terminating the franchise’s relationship with Paul by moving James at least crossed Buss’ mind, the team source said, and Paul was made aware of that.”
That, however, is the extent to which a potential James trade was ever broached. According to Bucher, Paul reached out to Buss, the Lakers’ owner, and successfully patched things up before the potential of his star client being traded ever escalated.
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Article Courtesy of WKYC Channel 3 News Cleveland
First Picture Courtesy of Ron Elkman/Sports Imagery and Getty Images
Second Picture Courtesy of Jeff Haynes and Getty Images
SPORTS: The Lakers Reportedly Considered Trading LeBron Sometime This Season was originally published on wzakcleveland.com
