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Lakers Stars Frustrated Over Lack of Improvements As Trade Deadline Nears

Ryan Phillips

LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers have opened the season 23-18.
LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers have opened the season 23-18. / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
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The Los Angeles Lakers' stars feel like they need more to compete for a championship this season.

On Wednesday, ESPN's NBA insider Shams Charania reported LeBron James and Anthony Davis are worried the team has not done enough to be competitive down the stretch.

"With the Feb. 6 trade deadline a little more than two weeks away, league sources told ESPN that James and Davis are growing concerned about the Lakers' ability to make significant roster upgrades with their two tradeable first-rounders," Charania wrote. "James, a four-time champion, and Davis, a one-time champ, have expressed that they want the franchise to make moves to contend for a championship, with the co-stars believing the Lakers are potentially a piece or two away, sources said."

While the Lakers have canvassed the league for potential deals as the trade deadline is approaching, they haven't made a move since adding Dorian Finney-Smith in late December.

In recent weeks, coach JJ Redick and James have both noted that the Lakers have no margin for error in games due to a thin roster. Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood were expected to be key pieces of the team's rotation but have missed the entire season so far.

The Lakers are currently 23-18 and sit in sixth place in the Western Conference. The general feeling around the NBA is that the league is wide open this year. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder are outpacing everyone else, but it's really anyone's title to take.

The Lakers will keep attempting to improve the roster but if they can't, James and Davis likely won't be happy.

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Ryan Phillips
RYAN PHILLIPS

Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.

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