5 moves the Los Angeles Lakers can make to turn season around

1. Trade LeBron James and start over

Trading LeBron James away might even be more controversial than the Kyrie Irving option. And the Lakers can’t even trade him this year due to his contract. But it’s safe to say at this point that the Lakers probably squeezed the last bit of juice out of this experiment, and to make any more moves to appease James at the expense of the future could force the team into a rut that could last a decade. They’ve given up numerous picks and reworked the roster into an amalgam of nonsensical pieces because they let their superstar play the role of pseudo-GM.

While trading LeBron James away might not save this particular season, it might just be what the Lakers need to save their future. He’s currently signed through the 2024-25 season, and while this trade comes with the baggage of a massive contract, there are certainly teams out there who’d be willing to make this deal work because of everything else this megastar gives you (i.e., jersey sales, prime time games, the eyes of the sports world on your franchise every night).

If the Lakers were to make a deal like this, the best thing they could ask for is draft picks–anything to replenish their depleted stock. It’s unlikely the team would make a deal like this, but it might just be the best thing for Los Angeles.