The Los Angeles Lakers team executives may already have given up on this season, according to an insider.
It has not been an impressive season for the Lakers, who currently sit ninth in the Western Conference with a less than impressive record of 37-32.
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That record means they will likely need to win two play-in games to extend to the postseason, where they would then likely meet the West‘s number one seed, creating a likely path for an early exit.
Fans were hoping for a blockbuster trade to kick-start the franchise’s 2024 season, but no such trade arrived, with the trade deadline coming and going with little to be excited about.
Fans have questioned the lack of ambition from those in the front office, and an insider in Antony Irwin may well have provided the answer.
He wrote: “Some within the organization have even explained that the Lakers‘ inactivity at the deadline was due in part to thinking this season was beyond salvation after [Jarred Vanderbilt’s] injury – which they considered season-ending at the time.”
The dilemma facing the Lakers
On paper, the Lakers may not be altogether foolish to sign off from the season by not making a big trade.
If they feel a trade wouldn’t be enough to turn them into championship contenders, they may be better off biding their time and positioning themselves for a better run in the next year or two.
The problem with that comes in the form of LeBron James, who is now 39 years of age.
A generational talent, James will want to succeed in the final years of his career, and there will be disappointment that the Lakers are willing to throw in the towel at a time when their superstar is most desperate to win.
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