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Jeff Van Gundy: Los Angeles Lakers should trade LeBron James

By Connor Grott
Former NBA head coach Jeff Van Gundy suggested the Lakers should consider trading LeBron James in an effort to create cap space to sign upcoming free agents. File Photo by Nell Redmond/UPI
Former NBA head coach Jeff Van Gundy suggested the Lakers should consider trading LeBron James in an effort to create cap space to sign upcoming free agents. File Photo by Nell Redmond/UPI | License Photo

March 10 (UPI) -- Former NBA head coach and current ESPN broadcaster Jeff Van Gundy is ready to cut the LeBron James-Lakers experiment short.

During Los Angeles' contest against the Celtics on Saturday, Van Gundy suggested that the Lakers should consider trading the star forward in order to create cap space.

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"I think in the offseason, they need to rebuild this roster, right?" Van Gundy said during the broadcast. "And to me, it could be a trade for an Anthony Davis, or I think they need to explore trading LeBron for getting as much as they can."

Van Gundy's broadcast partner and former NBA coach Mark Jackson quickly rejected the notion of trading James and declared it a bad idea.

Van Gundy responded to Jackson, "You've got to get on the right timeline. I'm going to say, if I could trade him for the Clippers into cap space, which would give me a better chance to get [Kevin] Durant or Kawhi Leonard, would I not do that?"

James is in his first season with the Lakers after he opted out of his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers on June 29, 2018. The superstar player signed a four-year, $153.5 million deal with the Lakers on July 9, 2018.

The 34-year-old James is scheduled to make $37.4 million in the 2019-20 season. He is averaging 27.1 points, 8.6 rebounds and 8.1 assists in 35.4 minutes per game this year. He missed 17 games earlier in the season with a strained groin.

The Lakers slipped to 30-36 after Saturday's 120-107 loss to the Celtics. James had 30 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds in 28 minutes.

Los Angeles trails No. 8 seed San Antonio by seven games for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Lakers have 16 games remaining in the regular season.

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