Jim Poorten/NBAE via Getty Images
Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson
said the franchise shouldn’t trade LeBron James despite the
disappointing 2021-22 season.
“LeBron I hope will be a Laker for a
long time,” Johnson told TMZ Sports in an interview released
Saturday.
Magic wasn’t interested in answering
the other Lakers questions thrown his way aside from making it clear
he has no interest in becoming the team’s next head coach.
L.A. endured one of the most
frustrating seasons in recent NBA history as injuries to James and
Anthony Davis combined with underwhelming play from blockbuster
offseason acquisition Russell Westbrook caused the team to miss the
playoffs with a 33-49 record.
Head coach Frank Vogel was fired at
season’s end, and speculation has swirled about what type of moves
the Lakers will make over the summer to help right the ship.
While trading James, 37, would typically be
near the bottom of that list, his contract situation and recent
comments cloud the outlook a bit.
The four-time NBA MVP can become a free
agent after the 2022-23 campaign with the conclusion of his two-year,
$85.7 million contract.
In recent months, he’s discussed
both his hope to one day play alongside Golden State Warriors
superstar Stephen Curry and his desire to finish his NBA career on
the same team as his son, Bronny James, a potential 2024 draft pick.
So if the Lakers think LeBron is going
to hit the free-agent market next summer and never look back, a trade
must be at least considered this offseason.
Johnson, who guided the franchise to
five NBA titles during his playing days, is hoping a different
resolution can be found to keep the league’s longtime gold standard
in L.A. for the long haul.
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