LeBron James is expected to leave the Los Angeles Lakers after stepping away from the team.
The season is not going according to plan in L.A. following JJ Redick’s arrival as head coach. The team is in eighth place in the Western Conference and has lost 11 of their first 24 games for a 13-11 record.
Redick told reporters the All-Star forward was out due to “personal reasons” during practice on Wednesday, which follows his absence against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday.
“LeBron is not with the team right now. He’s out for personal reasons, excused absence.” Redick said, per ESPN.
“I don’t know yet,” the coach said when asked if James would return for Friday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. “Again, it’s personal reasons, so he’s taking some time.”
James last played for the Lakers on December 6, when he scored 39 points along with 11 assists and 10 rebounds in a loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
NBA Insider Reveals Likely Landing Spot For LeBron James Amid Trade Rumors
The timing of James’ absence has led people in the media, as well as fans, to believe his time could be up in L.A., with lots of speculation going around over a potential trade.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst has tipped the Golden State Warriors to make a play for James should he become available.
“The Warriors have dreamed of pairing LeBron with Steph Curry and Draymond Green since last year,” Windhorst said on ‘Get Up’ this week. “They’ve made an inquiry and it got shut down last February. That was before LeBron played with Steve Kerr and Steph Curry and won the gold medal over the summer. So, they will definitely monitor the situation, and I don’t think they do anything without knowing this door is locked, but I would just say with LeBron, it’s up to him.
“He has a no-trade clause and he has given no indication he wants the Lakers to do anything but upgrade the roster they’ve got, not that he wants to go anywhere.”
There’s also the issue of LeBron’s son, Bronny, whom he wanted to play with before retiring. Leaving the Lakers now would be complicated as it might require the younger James to be part of a potential package.
