The Los Angeles Lakers have won the 17th NBA Championship title only after a season after acquiring talisman LeBron James. But the Lakers have struggled ever since. The lack of patience from the front office meant that they traded out all their youngsters and stuffed their team with some exceptional talents.
Although they were experienced they were far from their physical best and that proved a major defining point for the Purple and Gold Army. When LeBron is on the court he tries his best to elevate the level of the Lakers and win matches but was simply not enough for Frank Vogel’s men as they are currently in the ninth position with an underwhelming 27-33 record. There are already questions about them making it to the postseason.
There have been several trade rumours and speculations and NBA Analyst and former Lakers centre Shaquille O’Neal opened up on his views on the rumours, performances and future of LeBron James. In a recent interview, O’Neal shared his opinions on the entire matter as he said that the Lakers will be making a grave mistake if they trade LeBron James.
While talking to CNBC, Shaq warned the Lakers to not trade Lebron James as he highlighted how none of the players can give them that authority on the court for them. Shaq feels that the problem is with the supporting cast as LeBron is still dropping good numbers and some fans are even considering him for MVP discussions.
“If you trade LeBron, you’ll never win again,” O’Neal said. He explained how surrounded by the correct roster, James will certainly lead their team to victory. “I think whoever put the team together needs to step up and try and fix it.”
Shaq actually has a point as the Lakers won their last title in 2020 by trading several players and bringing in some new faces. He feels that even Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook can be traded and the alteration can actually help LeBron James rejuvenate his form for the Purple and Gold army.
LeBron James’ current contract runs till 2023 and though he is the best player in the team, a trade could bring in unexpected surprises for Frank Vogel and his men. Currently ninth in the Western Conference, the Lakers need to do something to shake things up as they hope to feature in the postseason avoiding the play-ins tournament.
