“LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Rob Pelinka were never on the same page”: ESPN reporter shuts down the rumors of Lakers duo being content with the current squad

Lakers’ decision for going against the Wall–Westbrook trade didn’t have LeBron James and Anthony Davis’ approval.

In a season full of failures, the Lakers managed to let the trade deadline shut without making any changes in their squad. Getting the help that could make them a contender would be an absurd ask, but they should have at least tried to add somebody to the roster who could help them on either side of the floor.

If not that, they could have at least moved on from their off-season blunder which can turn out to be one of the costliest mistakes of NBA history. They had the chance to move on from Russell Westbrook, who not only is the highest-paid player in the team but has also become the worst player on both ends of the court.

Also read: “James Harden is an elite quitter!”: ESPN Analyst takes shots at the Beard for giving up on both the Nets and the Rockets in just over a year following his recent trade to the Philadelphia 76ers

According to Yahoo Sports, the Houston Rockets offered the Lakers a deal that would have swapped John Wall for Westbrook, but the Lakers declined to include a first-round pick.

The discussion ended because of the refusal to include the draft pick. The Lakers did not make any moves before the trade deadline, despite losing six of their last eight games.

It was made clear by Lakers’ management that LeBron James and Anthony Davis were completely okay with the team’s decision of keeping quiet as the deadline closed.

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 11, 2022

But that seemed to be a complete hoax, according to an ESPN reporter.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis did not say no to John Wall

Talking about players’ impact on team management, LeBron James might be one of the most influential players for any franchise he has played with. People even mock him on social media, calling him “LeGM” for paring up with the players of his choice.

But it seems as if he is losing that power as he is in the 19th season of his basketball career. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin has an update on his earlier report of the understanding between JBJ, AD, and Rob Palinka.

“I’m told from a source familiar with LeBron and Anthony’s thinking that that is totally false. There was no conversation between Rob Pelinka, LeBron, and Anthony Davis.”

Rob out here lying on LeBron and AD😂 pic.twitter.com/ABiHJv2goE

— Brow is Back (@theBrowsexual) February 11, 2022

Also read: “I’m not accustomed to sitting down for long stretches”: Russell Westbrook on missing the first game of the season due to lower back stiffness

People can question whether John Wall could have made the Lakers a contender, but no one can doubt that he would have made them at least a watchable basketball team again.

And these stories of the gap in the leadership of the team wouldn’t help in any way. With the team still having to play with the trio for the rest of the season, this news coming out will lead to influence their already weakened bond in the worst possible way.

About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

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