LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers reportedly have some tension brewing between them. There have been multiple reports that the four-time champ is unhappy in Los Angeles.
Now, as James weighs his future in free agency in Los Angeles, a Lakers insider is connecting the dots between the moment that has defined his relationship with the front office ever since.
Jovan Buha Claims Russell Westbrook Trade Changed LeBron James-Lakers Relationship
In July 2021, the Lakers sent Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, and the 22nd pick in the draft to the Washington Wizards for Russell Westbrook. The trio of James, Anthony Davis, and Westbrook was supposed to be unstoppable.
But it turned out to be one of the worst roster decisions in modern NBA history. It lasted two painful seasons before Westbrook moved to the Utah Jazz. But according to Jovan Buha, the damage went far deeper.
Buha was direct about the lasting impact of that trade. “I just don’t think things have ever quite been the same post-Westbrook trade. And that has led to, I mean, you could go back each offseason over the past few years,” he said.
“There’s always some article or report that comes out about the relationship dynamic between the Lakers and LeBron. I have contributed to a couple of those. So it’s been, I see it at times, and I think it just very much is like it can fluctuate season to season, or even within seasons, just kind of how hot or cold the relationship is at a given moment,” Buha added.
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According to ESPN, after the Westbrook trade, then-owner Jeanie Buss discussed not giving James an extension.
And she apparently even floated the idea of trading him, with the LA Clippers discussed as a possibility. At the time, it was reported that the Lakers took on Westbrook just to appease James.
James re-signed with the Lakers in 2024 on a two-year, $104 million deal that included a no-trade clause. He has since carried a depleted roster to a first-round playoff series win over the Houston Rockets.
But they weren’t able to take down the defending champs, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and unfortunately got swept in the second round.
The reality is that James has a decision to make now. He can choose to leave the Lakers as a free agent this summer, or take a pay cut and stay in Los Angeles. He may be 41 years old now, but James has been proving himself almost every night and still averaging above 20.
