Lakers News: Bill Simmons Proposes Bonkers LeBron James Trade

Would this make sense for the Lakers?

With your Los Angeles Lakers struggling to even reach the .500 mark, there are those in the media wondering whether it may be time to blow the team up and start from scratch. 

Of course, the two most valuable trade chips on the roster include Anthony Davis and LeBron James. Even at 39 years of age, one can make the argument James is still a top-15 player in the league. Adding him to a title contender could truly be the way to push one of these fringe teams over the edge. 

Realistically speaking, there's next to no chance the Lakers will deal James... unless he vocalizes the desire to be moved. He's the face of the franchise at this point, and leaving the most storied team in NBA history to go elsewhere would be a tough move to make. His family is now rooted in Los Angeles, and his son plays for USC. 

With that said, stranger things have happened. James is aiming to rack up as many NBA titles as he can. Barring a big move, the Lakers don't look like a serious contender at this present time. 

LeBron James to the Miami Heat?@BillSimmons outlines his hypothetical trade idea that would send LeBron back to South Beach: pic.twitter.com/4ReMedUPkg

— The Ringer (@ringer) January 5, 2024

On a podcast with fellow NBA analyst Howard Beck, Bill Simmons theorized about multiple trades centering around James. This thought exercise had him landing on Miami as a potential trade partner. Here are the two deals as hypothetically constructed by Simmons (seen in the video above): 

Trade Option 1: 

Heat get: LeBron James, Gabe Vincent

Lakers get: Kyle Lowry, Duncan Robinson, Nikola Jovic, future 1st round pick

Trade Option 2: 

Heat get: LeBron James, Gabe Vincent

Lakers get: Tyler Herro, Kyle Lowry, future 1st round pick

The storylines surrounding a possible James/Miami reunion would be immense. Adding James to a core featuring Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and a host of very solid role players would likely make Miami the favorite to win the East. 

Vincent's career took off with Miami, and though he's been injured this entire season, the odds are he'll come back and play well for his former team. 

As for the Lakers in this hypothetical situation, getting Herro at a bare minimum should be required. LA would surely ask for former UCLA star Jaime Jaquez Jr. in the deal (though they easily could've drafted him over Jalen Hood-Schifino a few months ago). Miami might pause at the notion of letting Jaquez leave. He's already an integral member of the squad. 

If the Lakers were to deal James, they might as well go all in on the 'blowing it up' exercise by also trading Davis. His value is perhaps at an all-time high at the moment, and the longer you hold onto the potent big man, the greater chance he could end up injured in some form or fashion.