The Los Angeles Lakers continue to struggle in the 2024-2025 season. Not only do they sit in the 10th position, which is the final play-in tournament qualifying spot, in the NBA’s Western Conference, they can’t seem to move past the internal strife plaguing the team. Those problems lately come from legendary, 39-year-old superstar Lebron James who has been absent without explanation from the team since Wednesday.
James has missed two games in a row, after promising before the season began that he would be there for all 82 regular season Lakers games. The official reason given that James is dealing with a foot injury of some sort. But the Lakers have upgraded his status from “out” to “questionable” for Sunday’s game at Crypto.com Arena against the 18-8 Memphis Grizzlies. Lakers fans may take that as a positive sign.
But one famous, former Lakers fan has seen more than enough. He believes that the Lakers’ season is effectively over, and for that reason, the storied franchise needs to immediately start rebuilding for the future. To start that process, he urges, trade two star players.
‘The Truth’ Says Lakers Playoff Hopes Are Over
That former fan is Boston Celtics legend Paul “The Truth” Pierce, a Hall of Famer who was a member of the last team to beat the Lakers in the NBA Finals, the 2007-2008 Celtics. Pierce grew up in Inglewood, California, directly south of the Los Angeles city limits. The city was also home to the Great Western Forum, aka the “Fabulous Forum” where the Lakers played until 1999.
“I don’t think there’s nothing they can do,” Pierce said on Saturday, speaking on the KG Certified podcast hosted by Pierce’s former Celtic teammate Kevin Garnett, and referring to the Lakers’ current struggles. “It is what it is. Enjoy the greatness of LeBron while
you can. If you can trade [Anthony Davis] and maybe get some pieces for the future, maybe you do that.”
“You blowing the show up?” Garnett replied, incredulous.
But Pierce countered by asking, “What is the show?”
The Celtics great went on to suggest that the Lakers return James’s son Bronny James from their G League team, and let the father-son team play out the rest of the season together. “We don’t want to hear all that, trying to make the playoffs. We’re off that,” Pierce said. “We want to see ‘Bron throw Bronny a lob… We know what this movie’s gonna be.”
Give Davis Chance to Play for a Ring Elsewhere: Pierce
Pierce also said that a trade for draft picks would be the right thing to do for Davis’s career.
“AD is still good so do him justice and give him an opportunity to go somewhere and play for a title because itâs not happening in L.A.,” Pierce said.
The 47-year-old Hall of Famer went on to suggest that the Lakers also acquire draft picks for the future by trading 28-year-old point guard D’Angelo “D-Lo” Russell, who is averaging a career-low 12.6 points per game.
Pierce’s remarks were timely. December 15 is the day that certain NBA players become eligible to be traded. Both Davis and Russell meet the eligibility requirements. The only two Lakers players not eligible to be traded are James himself, due to his no-trade clause, and. third-year guard Max Christie whose specific contract situation means that he cannot be traded until mid-January.
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