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