NBA Rumors: LeBron James wants Lakers to trade first-round picks for help

NBA Rumors: LeBron James reportedly wants the Los Angeles Lakers to use their future first-round picks to help salvage the season.

There aren’t many things so far in the NBA that are easy to get a read on, but there are a few. And one of them revolves around how bad the Los Angeles Lakers have looked. On most nights, the Lakers look old, tired, and simply not good enough. They have the second-worst record in the league at 2-9 and there isn’t much hope for a team to turn things around.

Though, an in-season blockbuster trade could change that perception. But before that happens, there are a couple of questions that the Lakers must answer. For one, is there a trade out there that will move the needle enough to get them from out of the bottom two in the standings to into the top 5 or 6 in the Western Conference? And two, should the Lakers be willing to go all-in on this season?

We don’t know what the Lakers will ultimately decide to do but, according to a recent report, we know what LeBron James wants them to do. Predictably, LeBron wants the Lakers to go all-in this season. And that means trading their future first-round picks in an attempt to find help to salvage the season.

The dilemma the Los Angeles Lakers find themselves in

It’s no surprise that LeBron would rather the Lakers trade their future first-round picks in an attempt to salvage the season. LeBron is soon-to-be 38 and may not have many highly productive seasons remaining in his career. He knows that his title window is closing (if it hasn’t already) and the only way he could potentially compete for a title this season will be through a blockbuster in-season trade.

And the only way for that to come to fruition is if the Lakers decide to trade both of their (trade-eligible) future first-round picks.

At least for now, there has to be a difficult conversation for the Lakers’ front office to have. On one hand, you want to maximize LeBron’s title window. That’s a no-brainer. On the other hand, the Lakers have to decide whether it’s worth it to try and expand LeBron’s title window by making a trade or two that may or may not be enough, while also mortgaging the future.

It’s not an easy predicament that the Lakers find themselves in. And the fact that they’ve gotten off to a 2-9 start only makes that decision even more difficult.