The 2023-24 NBA season has been a roller coaster ride for the Los Angeles Lakers. Peaks, valleys, loop-de-loops and everything in between have been seen on the court as the team’s performance has been up and down.
It looks like the Lakers are ascending toward another peak heading into the NBA Trade Deadline. They are riding a three-game winning streak after defeating the Charlotte Hornets 124-118 on Monday night.
Their previous wins on the streak were extremely impressive. It started with a victory on the road against the Boston Celtics without LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the lineup. The star duo returned for the next game against the red-hot New York Knicks, who they defeated by taking the ball out of Jalen Brunson’s hands.
With the deadline only days away, NBA rumors are swirling about what the Lakers could look to do. Just a few days ago they seemed destined to make some sort of move, shaking up what has been an underwhelming roster in many regards.
However, the winning streak could have Rob Pelinka changing his mind. The organization believes there is room for internal improvement, which could lead to the team staying pat or making a smaller move.
With only one future first-round draft pick at their disposal to trade, Los Angeles has to be picky when it comes to making a trade. Especially because they can include three picks in trades in the offseason.
While plenty of avenues exist, don’t expect to get any insight from James on the matter. It has been reported that he is doing things during games, such as wearing a Knicks towel, to force the team’s hand into making a deal. But, when speaking to reporters, he remains coy.
“It’s not a question for me,” James said after closing out the road trip with 26 points on 12-for-22 shooting — including several rim-rattling dunks — in 40 minutes to secure the win. “I love who we have in the locker room. And that’s all I worry about.”
James added: “We’re going to go out and prepare ourselves every single night no matter what it is. No matter who’s out on this team. No matter what.”
James has been at this for a long time. In Year 21, he knows how to play the game with the media, giving them just enough to pique their interest but not giving everything away.
That leads to a ton of speculation, as several Lakers have been involved in NBA rumors. Alas, that is part of the job when you are on a team with James, as his teammates are always seemingly expendable on the quest for a championship.
