There has been so much speculation about what the Los Angeles Lakers are going to do this offseason to help LeBron James and the team get over the hump and finally win an NBA Championship. Some have said they should trade for Anthony Davis or Bradley Beal. Others have said that someone like Kawhi Leonard or Jimmy Butler would sign as free agents. Others even went as far as saying that Kevin Durant would leave the Golden State Warriors to pair up with King James in L.A.
Interestingly enough, KD had some shit to say about James getting another All-Star to run along with him in an interview with Bleacher Report.
Essentially, he’s saying the atmosphere around LeBron is toxic and it will be hard to get anyone to join that. It’s not his fault, but the media circus surrounding anything he does is not appealing to most players.
“It depends on what kind of player you are. If you’re Kyle Korver, then it makes sense. Because Kyle Korver in Atlanta was the bulk of the offense, and he’s not a No. 1 option at all, not even close. So his talents benefit more from a guy who can pass and penetrate and get him open.
If you’re a younger player like a Kawhi, trying to pair him with LeBron James doesn’t really make sense. Kawhi enjoys having the ball in his hands, controlling the offense, dictating the tempo with his post-ups; it’s how he plays the game. A lot of young players are developing that skill. They don’t need another guy.”
“So much hype comes from being around LeBron from other people. He has so many fanboys in the media. Even the beat writers just fawn over him. I’m like, we’re playing basketball here, and it’s not even about basketball at certain points. So I get why anyone wouldn’t want to be in that environment because it’s toxic. Especially when the attention is bullshit attention, fluff. It’s not LeBron’s fault at all; it’s just the fact you have so many groupies in the media that love to hang on every word. Just get out of the way and let us play basketball.”
With the young core maturing so far and the Lake Show hitting a groove, only time will tell as far as what Magic Johnson and front office does. Could they make a blockbuster trade this year? Will they just roll the dice and go with what they got? At the moment, they are a playoff team, but there’s still plenty season to play.
Plus, will James slow things down soon and save himself for the playoffs because of the pace he’s been playing lately? That is the question.
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