Los Angeles Lakers players have trade belief impacting LeBron James future
The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to make a few trades before the deadline.
Los Angeles Lakers players reportedly feel the team is only two moves away from being a contender for the NBA Championship. LeBron James reportedly wants the team to make moves before the trade deadline in order to compete this year.
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The Lakers have struggled this season, having made a dire start to the campaign. Despite things turning around slightly, they still sit in 13th place in the Western Conference, having won just seven games.
As a result of their poor start, questions have been raised over the team's handling of James, and what the superstar forward wants to do going forward. Reports suggest the 37-year-old doesn't want to waste any more time and wants the team to make trades now in order to compete.
And it seems his team-mates are in agreement, with reports suggesting members of the locker room at the Crypto.com Arena feel the team isn't far away from competing. ESPN reports that key players in the locker room believe they only need a couple of players before they'll be competing again.
The Lakers are on a two-game winning streak after impressive performances against the San Antonio Spurs in back-to-back games. After sorting out their chemistry issues they seem to be on the right track again, having won five of their last six games.
Russell Westbrook, whose future has been the subject of intense speculation, has starred in his new role as a bench player leading the second unit. The guard scored 11 points with seven rebounds and six assists in Sunday night's win over the Spurs, and scored 14 points with 12 rebounds in a win over the Brooklyn Nets earlier in the season.
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Westbrook, who is on an expiring contract, stands to earn $47million (£39m) this season, and is arguably the most valuable trade asset the Lakers have aside from James and Anthony Davis.
Speculation has been rife this season that the Lakers could move Westbrook in order to free up cap space and get some shooters in the backcourt, with Buddy Hield and Myles Turner of the Indiana Pacers believed to be two targets for the franchise.
