{"id":113379,"date":"2024-12-22T15:20:10","date_gmt":"2024-12-22T20:20:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=113379"},"modified":"2024-12-22T15:20:10","modified_gmt":"2024-12-22T20:20:10","slug":"change-is-coming-to-the-lakers-though-it-could-be-toxic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/12\/22\/change-is-coming-to-the-lakers-though-it-could-be-toxic\/","title":{"rendered":"Change Is Coming to the Lakers, Though It Could Be Toxic"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> face a crossroads. With LeBron James<\/a> and Anthony Davis<\/a> leading the team, expectations remain sky-high. However, the franchise\u2019s lack of roster upgrades threatens to create significant unrest among its superstar duo. It is very likely that significant change will occur on the Lakers at some point in 2025.<\/p>\n

Change Is Coming to the Lakers, Though It Could Be Toxic<\/h2>\n

A Duo with Unfinished Business<\/h3>\n

LeBron<\/a> and Davis have proven they can win championships. Despite their past success, recent seasons have provided some disappointment. The Lakers lack the depth and fit needed to maximize their stars’ abilities.<\/p>\n

Davis, 31, remains in his prime and seeks another championship. One title should not be enough for him. LeBron, almost 40 and nearing the end of his career, also wants to compete for titles, not mediocrity. Both stars have shown flashes of being a championship-level duo, but the supporting cast has often failed them.<\/p>\n

Front Office Inaction Could Push Stars Away<\/h3>\n

The Lakers\u2019 inactivity<\/a> at last year\u2019s trade deadline frustrated fans and players alike. If the front office repeats this pattern, tensions could rise. According to Jovan Buha<\/a> of The Athletic<\/em>, James and Davis could lose patience if the Lakers fail to make a move by this year\u2019s trade deadline.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think LeBron and AD are going to be happy, and at that point, they can ask out.\u201d Buha said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

While James has a no-trade clause, he can opt out of his player option this offseason, making free agency a possibility. Davis, without such restrictions, could demand a trade if discontent grows. LeBron could waive his no-trade clause if an appealing offer is on the table.<\/p>\n

A Sign of Doubt in the Duo?<\/h3>\n

Failing to upgrade the roster may indicate the Lakers no longer view James<\/a> and Davis as elite championship pieces. This message would be a bitter pill for the two stars, especially for LeBron, who has carried teams to contention throughout his career.<\/p>\n

LeBron and Davis can still deliver<\/a> at an elite level, but they need complementary pieces. Without reinforcements, the Lakers risk sending their superstars into a downward spiral of frustration.<\/p>\n

The Lakers\u2019 Current Position<\/h3>\n

The Lakers currently hold a 16-12<\/a> record, sitting fifth in the Western Conference. While this position isn\u2019t bad, it doesn\u2019t reflect the dominance expected of a LeBron and Davis-led team. The Western Conference is the deepest it has ever been, and a losing skid could see the team fall rapidly down the standings.<\/p>\n

Roster flaws have been apparent in critical moments, and the team\u2019s inconsistency highlights the need for changes. If the Lakers want to contend in the loaded Western Conference, the front office must act decisively.<\/p>\n

The Cost of Standing Still<\/h3>\n

The Lakers\u2019 history shows how toxic things can become when LeBron doesn\u2019t feel the team has enough talent. His high standards and competitive drive demand action. If the front office fails him, discontent could ripple through the organization. We are all too familiar with the media mind games that will become afoot when the King is unsatisfied.<\/p>\n

For Davis, the stakes are equally high. If he decides to leave, suitors will line up to acquire the All-NBA big man. His departure would signal the end of this iteration of the Lakers and prompt a full rebuild.<\/p>\n

Change is Inevitable for the Lakers<\/h3>\n

Whether during the season or in the offseason, the Lakers must make significant changes. The trade deadline offers an opportunity to retool and address roster weaknesses. If the front office fails to act, the offseason could bring even more dramatic shifts.<\/p>\n

LeBron and Davis are still capable of leading a run, but they need help. Without it, frustration will grow, and the Lakers could face an uncertain and toxic future. Change is coming\u2014it\u2019s just a matter of when.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Los Angeles Lakers face a crossroads. With LeBron James and Anthony Davis leading the team, expectations remain sky-high. However, the franchise\u2019s lack of roster upgrades threatens to create significant unrest among its superstar duo. It is very likely that significant change will occur on the Lakers at some point in 2025. Change Is Coming […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5018,"featured_media":113563,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,1608,26],"tags":[4945,49979,240,38,408,1382,563,49701],"class_list":["post-113379","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba","category-basketball","category-lakers","tag-2023-2024-season","tag-2024-25-nba-season","tag-anthony-davis","tag-lebron-james","tag-nba-championship","tag-nba-trade","tag-nba-western-conference","tag-the-athletic"],"modified_by":"Kenny Kluska","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113379","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5018"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=113379"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113379\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":113564,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113379\/revisions\/113564"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/113563"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=113379"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=113379"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=113379"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}