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An anonymous NBA executive brought up an unexpected potential landing spot for Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James this week should the Lakers decide to trade him.
Speaking to Heavy.com’s Steve Bulpett, the exec mentioned the Sacramento Kings as a team that could possibly accommodate James and win with him in the fold, saying:
“The one place that I don’t hear a lot of talk about with LeBron is Sacramento. He could change them, and they might have the kind assets to make a trade work. They have a lot of young talent, and because they’re a small market, they haven’t spent like drunken sailors. They have some draft picks a young talent. If they could get to the salary, LeBron would take [De’Aron] Fox and [Domantas] Sabonis and elevate the hell out of them—particularly Fox. With that threesome, those guys could be a force.”
As has been the case with James on occasion during his seven-year run in L.A., some trade rumors and speculation have popped up recently.
Speaking this week on First Take, former NBA center and current ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins (h/t Corey Hansford of Lakers Nation) said sources indicated to him that if LeBron wants to explore a trade, the Lakers would allow him to do so.
However, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on Get Up that James has given “no indication” that he wants to leave the Lakers.
Windhorst added that James’ preference is for the Lakers to improve their roster prior to the February trade deadline so they can potentially be championship contenders in the Western Conference.
James, who will turn 40 later this month, is the oldest player in the NBA, and while he has remained productive, his scoring numbers and efficiency haven’t quite been at the level they usually are.
His 23.0 points per game is his lowest scoring average since his rookie year in 2003-04, plus he is shooting just 49.5 percent from the field, which is his lowest shooting percentage since 2019-20.
Still, James is more than capable of contributing to winning basketball, as evidenced by his 9.1 assists and 8.0 rebounds per contest.
The Lakers are just two seasons removed from reaching the Western Conference Finals, but they are off to an uneven start this season at 13-11, placing them eighth in the Western Conference.
Perhaps there is a world in which James requests a trade somewhere he believes has a better chance of contending, although it is fair to question if Sacramento qualifies given that the Kings are 12-13.
A trio of James, Fox and Sabonis could potentially turn around the Kings’ fortunes, but they have only made the playoffs once since the 2005-06 season and haven’t won a playoff series since 2004, so they may not truly be a realistic landing spot for one of the greatest players of all time.