LeBron James and Anthony Davis want Lakers to add third star

The Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated in the first round of the postseason. They fired head coach Darvin Ham four days later, bringing his tenure two-year tenure with the franchise to an end. After a nearly two-month search, JJ Redick was named head coach on Monday. The first-time coach claimed the roster is not far from contention at his introductory press conference.

Jun 24, 2024; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick speaks to the media during an introductory news conference at the UCLA Health Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Sam Amick of The Athletic reported that stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis want the franchise to bring in an additional star. Speaking to Jovan Buha on his Buha’s Block podcast, the senior NBA writer stated:

I think LeBron, but not only LeBron, but Anthony Davis, my understanding is that they seem to see it differently… Players of that caliber know that there are opportunities with other teams to get better. There’s trades that could be on the table. They just want to know that the franchise is truly pushing as hard as possible to get something done.

Donovan Mitchell, which looks increasingly unlikely because of how he sees the Cleveland situation, but Dejounte Murray. And to be fair, let’s highlight the other part, a lot of these are Klutch clients, the same agency that represents LeBron and AD. Also, a bunch of very good players. Zach LaVine, Miles Bridges, all the way down the line.

The Lakers can trade as many as three unprotected first-round picks. They also have several young players that are coveted by potential trade partners. While Redick and general manager Rob Pelinka have signaled that they will focus on player development, it remains to be seen if they will be more aggressive in pursuit of another key player.

Check out Sam Amick’s comments below (starting at the 5:20 mark):

LeBron James could play three more years if Lakers are contending

LeBron James continued to play at a high level in his 21st season in the NBA. Sam Amick of The Athletic reported that he could play as many as three more seasons if the Los Angeles Lakers are contending for championships, stating (17:09):

There’s an intensity to win at a very high level. That he is playing so well that he can actually legitimately see himself playing two, or maybe even three, more years and doesn’t want to do that if there’s not a real organizational push to be a title contender again.

Amick added that Anthony Davis also wants to contend for championships. He noted that they are hungry after dealing with plenty of scrutiny and shortcomings in the four seasons since their 2020 title. James holds a player option for 2024-25 and has until June 29 to make a decision.

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