LeBron James Hasn't Signaled About a Contract Extension, and Anthony Davis is Shooting Again!

Why an Eight Second Video of Anthony Davis Has Lakers Fans Upset: The Lakers had a terrible 2021-22 season, in part because Anthony Davis was not the dominant force he needed to be (even setting aside all the time missed with injury). Over the weekend, a video surfaced, clipped (of course!) from a larger video in which Anthony Davis notes he hasn't shot a basketball since April. Not sure when it was shot, and honestly it doesn't matter. Davis, like many players, takes the first weeks of the offseason to heal, then trains without a basketball for a while before returning to the court. Training camp doesn't happen until October. It's a nothingburger, basketball wise. Optics wise? Davis is coming off a horrible season shooting the rock, and has generally not fared that well with the jumper - Bubble aside - since arriving in Los Angeles. So for fans to hear that he hasn't been burying himself in the gym with a maniacal focus on destroying the NBA next season has many of them up in arms. It by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

31 min listen

Is It a Given The Lakers Should Offer LeBron James a Contract Extension? Plus, more on Westbrook's Take on Media/Fans: Nothing is easy about this season for the Lakers, and nothing will be easy about this offseason for them, either. Tons of huge decisions to be made. Now, that includes the future of LeBron James. Not just from the POV of what James wants, but also whether the Lakers would be wise to commit to a core comprised of James and Anthony Davis, since now neither guy can be considered reliable from a health/availability standpoint. Then again, what exactly are the alternatives? Trading James? Trading James and AD? Letting LeBron walk? The team is in a tight spot, because doing better than that core will be hard, but it's reasonable to ask now if that core is enough to win more titles without a stronger supporting cast... something the Lakers don't have much ability to build. On the other hand, there may not be a team in the league with more obstacles in front of them for a tota by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

32 min listen

LeBron James is Hurting. Anthony Davis is Healing. The Lakers are Reeling.: Monday, Frank Vogel all but said LeBron James won't play Tuesday night thanks to the bum ankle he turned Sunday in New Orleans. Anthony Davis, however, practiced and while he (like James) is listed as doubtful for tonight in Dallas, there's a chance he'll be back on the floor perhaps as early as Thursday (in Utah) or Friday (at home vs. the Pellies). But as this season moves relentlessly to what seems like an inevitably disappointing conclusion, it's worth asking how much it's worth getting either back on the floor. Does LeBron risk using up whatever physical juice he has left in a way that could impact next season, too? Could he be compounding injuries in a way that might carry forward? Does Davis have important reasons to play, even if it ultimately doesn't amount to much for the Lakers as a group? And why should anyone on this team get to avoid the public embarrassment of losing in the play-in? Plus... Vogel by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

Jeanie Buss Discusses Frank Vogel, and Russell Westbrook Shows Why Teammates (Like LeBron James) Love Him: Turns out Tuesday's win over Boston was part of an even busier night for the Lakers. First, Jeanie Buss spoke about Frank Vogel's future with Mark Medina of NBA.com, saying the Lakers won't make any big choices about their head coach until the team is healthy. And given that Kendrick Nunn won't qualify in that regard for a little while at least, that seems to bode well for Frank Vogel. And honestly, while there are things to criticize, if the Lakers don't have a replacement in mind that would constitute an upgrade, canning Vogel doesn't make much sense. It's incredibly disruptive, and should be the last resort, not a first. Then again, Jeanie has expressed support for coaches who eventually get fired, so how meaningful was the moment? Meanwhile, if you missed it, Russell Westbrook got up in Enes Kanter Freedom's grill while the C's reserve center sat on the bench, ostensibly suppo by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

34 min listen

The Suns, Fueled By Anthony Davis Comments, Scorch the Lakers. LeBron Hits Another Milestone.: For a guy who isn't on the floor right now, Anthony Davis made a lot of headlines Sunday. First, he indicated progress in his work to return to the floor following a badly sprained ankle. Out of the walking boot, and expressing belief he'll be back before the end of the year. Then, Davis said he thought the Lakers would have beaten Phoenix in the first round of the playoffs last year had he not been forced from that series with groin injury. And that the Suns know it, too. Even if you agree, and many people do, does saying so help the Lakers now? (It certainly didn't Sunday.) More importantly, what did Davis reveal about this team's approach and mentality? Still, that he might be back in time means the Lakers still have hope, improbable as it may be. Meanwhile, Frank Vogel is exceedingly frustrated. Sunday's postgame press conference was as close as he gets to saying "**** this roster," and j by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

How Will LeBron James' Return Impact a Red-Hot Anthony Davis? Plus, Patrick Beverley suspended!: The Lakers kick off a critical back-to-back Friday in San Antonio, and presumably LeBron James will be on the floor, hopefully for both ends. In his absence, the Lakers have found a little rhythm offensively (albeit against weaker competition) and Anthony Davis has gone bananas, in terms of his overall production. So the question for the team becomes figuring out ways to keep Davis in the space he's in with James back on the floor. Because the overall numbers for LeBron this year, offensively speaking, aren't great. His rating isn't high, relative to teammates. The team has performed better in his absence, with a lot more efficiency. Is that all on James? No, but his personal numbers speak to that type of inefficiency, as well. And overall, the all just seems to have been a lot less sticky over the last week-plus. Players are moving more, and are being rewarded for it. In a perfect world, a by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

2021-22 Season Predictions: Will LeBron James and the Lakers Win an NBA Championship?: IT BEGINS TODAY! The Lakers kick off the 2021-22 NBA season, against the Golden State Warriors. So what's going to happen this year? It's time to make some big predictions. But first, a little more housekeeping as the Lakers finalized their roster. They returned another familiar face to El Segundo, claiming Avery Bradley off waivers after the veteran guard was cut by Golden State at the end of the preseason. Bradley will provide a little bit of depth as the Lakers recover from injury, and in theory at least could help bolster a backcourt short on defenders. Then again, there's no guarantee he'll be on the team in six weeks. Why did they go this direction, when help on the wings remains a much more pressing need from a roster construction perspective? Then, Frank Vogel talked about keeping LeBron James's minutes around 34 a game. Same with Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis. Is that too many? Just by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

37 min listen

Why LeBron James Needs to Play Better... and Why That's Bad for the Lakers: Last week, Anthony Davis was a big topic of conversation. Namely, how the Lakers star, despite some perfectly good early season production, needed to play better for the Lakers to get where they want to go. Well, the same is true of LeBron James. It starts on the defensive side of things, where James admitted following Friday's loss to the Clippers that he wasn't good enough, particularly in some of the moments where he was playing center. For those lineups to work—and they need to work—James has to be far more precise, and do less freelancing. But broadly, his performance Friday was indicative of the season as a whole. James hasn't been bad, but for a variety of reasons hasn't played at the MVP level of a year ago, before he was injured. That's the James the Lakers need. Maybe even a little better. And given the amount of work he now has to do defensively (along with Davis) because of the roster turnover, it's by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

NBA GM Survey: Love for LeBron, Anthony Davis Snubbed... Plus, Pau Gasol retires: The Lakers got on a plane to Phoenix Tuesday for their second preseason game. This one will feature Anthony Davis and Carmelo Anthony - "the two Anthony's," as Frank Vogel called them - but not LeBron James or Russell Westbrook. And while Vogel didn't give any indication of how he's leaning when it comes to a starting lineup to open the year, he did respond to one of the big questions kicked around on Tuesday's show: Could he mix and match around the Big Three, based on matchups? In short, no. And he explained. From there, it's the annual GM survey, where the league's big execs weigh in on the most important questions surrounding players and teams heading into the 2021-22 season. What stuck out? How about some intense respect for the quality LeBron still brings at age 37, entering his 19th season. And the flip side? Davis was conspicuously absent from many categories where he appeared an offseason ago. by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

31 min listen

Seriously... Is Anthony Davis playing more Center? Plus, ESPN's Experts on the Lakers and LeBron!: "Anthony Davis at center" has been perhaps the biggest talking point for the Lakers over the last two seasons. Despite the way AD thrives in the middle, and the way the team follows suit with him at 5, he has famously preferred to spend the majority of his minutes at power forward. However, there have been signs an increased willingness to put his preferences aside for the bigger picture, the most recent coming via report from The Athletic's Bill Oram. What would it mean for the Lakers if this really is the case next season? In the meantime, you know the season is close, because ESPN cranking out expert panel polls around 2021-22 season predictions. Inevitably, the Lakers and various members of the team popped up, with high showings in categories as wide-ranging as "Team Turnaround," "Team Turmoil," and "Most Likely to win the West." On the surface, these results may feel incongruent. by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

36 min listen

The Lakers will Reportedly Offer Anthony Davis an extension this Week. Are Fans Excited?: The Lakers, by all accounts, plan to offer Anthony Davis a three year extension worth about $170 million as early as this week. The logic behind it is sound, the arguments for waiting less so. The Lakers have a star that is, without question, capable of playing at a level only a few other guys around the league can, particularly when you take both ends of the floor into account. When you have guys like that, you keep them, and you don't screw around with it. None of that, however, changes the fact that Anthony Davis gives people the heebie jeebies, first and foremost because there's always the lingering threat of injury. The guy does get hurt a lot. He seems unlikely to get hurt less as he gets older. He also sometimes... just... leaves... fans... wanting... more. Maybe it's because of the expectations for the guy expected to support LeBron through a regular season and into the playoffs. Maybe it' by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

29 min listen

Are LeBron James and Anthony Davis Still a Championship Core? Guest: Jovan Buha, The Athletic (Part I): The Lakers have a lot of work to do this offseason, but one of the more foundational bits of business is figuring out what they still have in their star core. After two years of injuries scuttling seasons, is the core of LeBron James and Anthony Davis still one that can be reliably championship caliber? If the Lakers are nervous about the pairing, what exactly can they do to move on? Can they have Lebron but not necessarily go all in to win with him? This is the starting point of a two-part conversation with The Athletic's Jovan Buha, It kicks off answering the "What do they have?" question regarding James and Davis, and from there moves into "What can they get to make things better?" Should re-signing Malik Monk really be the team's top priority? Are there more pressing needs, even if Monk represents their most positive contributor from this season who isn't under contract? What els by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

34 min listen

Is It Possible LeBron James Wouldn't Sign an Extension With the Lakers?: LeBron James has spent a great deal of his time in Los Angeles fighting significant injuries. He's been told to stay off that bad ankle this spring/summer for at least a month, probably more. So with all that in mind, and his advancing age and tremendous NBA mileage, it's at least worth contemplating the risks of offering him a $90-plus million extension this summer. But this week, Sam Amick of The Athletic wrote an interesting story that asks the other side of the same question: Would LeBron automatically accept an offer from the Lakers (as everyone assumes the organization will do)? What are the reasons LeBron might turn them down? What might have changed about his perception of the franchise? Is it really any different now than it was when he signed with them originally? When he signed his first extension with the team? Finally, everyone (James included) poked fun at the Timberwolves for, let's call it an extre by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

LeBron James Sounds Off On Injuries and the NBA's Schedule Makers, Plus More with Mo Dakhil!: On Wednesday's show, the Kamenetzky's welcome the great Mo Dakhil, of Bleacher Report and The Athletic, keeper of a great Twitter and Twitch feed (MoDakhil_NBA) that'll teach you all sorts of stuff about basketball. Well, we have more to give from that conversation. Mo digs into Anthony Davis, and whether he's able/ready to take the torch from LeBron James, as Jared Dudley suggested he could during exit interviews. What does that even mean? Is it possible while LeBron is still active? But first, LeBron himself is in the news. First, for making the 2nd team All-NBA squad, and then for sounding off on Twitter at the NBA's schedule makers after a rash of injuries again impacted the NBA playoffs. Safe to say, he's not happy. The KamBrothers discuss. Hosts: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: The Kamenetzkys react to LeBron getting named to the All-NBA second team, as well as his public critic by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

32 min listen

What Do the Lakers Owe LeBron James? Is Rob Pelinka Not Keeping Promises?: The 2022-23 Lakers are in deep trouble, but are also, by all indications, in a holding pattern when it comes to making deals to try and rescue this season. As they head into Tuesday's tilt with Orlando seven games under .500 and staring down a long stretch without Anthony Davis, the prospect of another disaster of a season has people asking whether the Lakers are wasting the best/rest of LeBron James's career. What do they owe him? Did Rob Pelinka really make a commitment ahead of training camp to do anything to try and win while he's here? How big a commitment did James make to the Lakers, really? Yes, he signed an extension, but just for a year, plus an option. It's not like he created some sort of blood pact with the team. But all of this begs more questions. Are the Lakers correct in holding tight, even if it makes them look bad in the reflection of their own history, with Team James, and in some media circl by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

Do Lakers Fans Want LeBron, Anthony Davis to Play In 2024 Olympics? We asked. You Answered.: Next summer, LeBron James will have finished his 21st season, and will be pushing 40 years old. Anthony Davis will be a year older, and even in his early 30s, no less injury prone than he is today, at the very least. They will, hopefully, both be coming off a long, long playoff run. Ideally, one ending in a parade. So the notion they'd turn around and play for Team USA in the Paris Olympics in 2024 right after that might give some Lakers fans pause. Or maybe not. Turns out, at least based on some relatively unscientific polling of Lakers fans, a majority want to see both guys repping the red, white and blue next summer. Whatever the reason, from the enjoyment and pride of seeing the best play for Team USA to the story it would be for LeBron to get one more Olympic gold to the cool factor for many fans of watching players from their franchise play internationally, the fear of injury or fatigue s by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

31 min listen

Is LeBron James Already Taking Shots at Rob Pelinka, Jeanie Buss and Lakers Management?: Maybe it's nothing... but nobody seems to think that. Lebron James, who is no stranger to passive aggressive use of social media to make a point, posted Thursday on Instagram a highlight dunk, and a question: "How long will you be taken for granted?" It was widely interpreted as a shot at Lakers management, with the idea they're wasting a still highly productive James. Or at the least, he seemed more than willing to let people make that assumption for at least a day. And James, no neophyte when it comes to social media, certainly understands how a post like that would be interpreted. So what does it mean if James is already taking shots? Does it change the calculus for how the Lakers can and should look at the trade market? Does it raise the temperature on Rob Pelinka to relent and make a deal he'd otherwise rather pass on? Is there reason to believe that some of the problems with the offense are d by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

30 min listen

NBA GM Poll Reflects Anthony Davis's Reputation Dropping Around the NBA. (LeBron Still Respected!): Every year, NBA.com produces the GM poll, asking execs around the league all sorts of questions about players, teams, coaches and beyond. In most years, the Lakers and Lakers players are well represented, given their high profile, high expectations, star power and so on. This year, however, when it comes to the Lakers the results are notable mostly because the Lakers are an afterthought. LeBron James pops up in a couple of categories, Darvin Ham in another. The Lakers are expected to finish around 8th in the conference, which makes sense and certainly isn't unfair. Most notable, though, is the near-total absence of Anthony Davis, who doesn't get mentioned among the best defensive players, centers, power forwards, MVP candidates and so on and so on and so on. One place he does pop up? Breakout candidate, a place usually reserved for much younger players. In total, it shows the massive rep by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

32 min listen

Darvin Ham and LeBron James Agree, Anthony Davis Should be the Focal Point on Offense: The Lakers braintrust met recently and covered a lot of ground, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports. Interestingly enough, a contract extension for LeBron James wasn't really the frontburner item. Instead, Rob Pelinka, Darvin Ham and James tried to lay out a vision for the season, and gain a common understanding of what's coming. And there was a lot discussed over an hour or so. Anthony Davis is going to be the focal point of the offense. Things will run through him, everyone agrees. So what does that mean? How will that impact LeBron's ability not just to stay healthy, but give a little more to the defensive side of things than he did last year? Haynes reports that Pelinka plans to be patient with the roster, and everyone agreed to see how things shake out before making any big moves. That's code for "Russell Westbrook is going to be here." (That's a message not just for the players, but for by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

32 min listen

Will Anthony Davis' Return Make The Lakers Contenders? Plus, First Half Awards!: 41 games down, 41 to go. No, that's not meant as a threat. So with the Lakers at the halfway point, where do things stand? LeBron James spoke Sunday about having a better understanding of what this team is, and how they're going to play going forward, and the identity question is certainly an important one, even if that identity is imperfect. What he can't quantify, though, is just what things will look like once Anthony Davis returns. Not that they won't get better- that's a given- but how much better? And what will Davis look like in this new lineup leaning harder into "small" (i.e. Anthony Davis is a center, LeBron is the backup center, and we're only deploying the classic bigs in specific scenarios) than any season Davis has had here? In theory, it shouldn't be that different. Davis finished virtually every game in the title season at center, and has played more of it this year than the previous two. A by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

29 min listen

Is Anthony Davis Ready to be the Lakers' Best Player, Even When LeBron Return?: For the last two seasons, pundits, team officials and Lakers players alike have all agreed that the key to the team's success is Anthony Davis. He needs to be their most dominant player on a night in, night out basis. The difference between All Star AD and MVP caliber AD is the thing that can elevate the Lakers more than any other personnel move that's available to them. The last three games for the Lakers, all wins, have shown what that looks like, as Davis has thrashed the competition. But that's without LeBron James in the lineup, and against subpar competition. So what has to happen for this version of Davis to be the one the Lakers see even when James is back? When the schedule toughens up, and teams game play for even more heavily than they already do? Is it James that has to change? He's been the team's leading scorer in fourth quarters every year they've played together, including the 2020 title yea by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

30 min listen

How Much Center Does Anthony Davis Need to Play? Plus, Low Key Concerns and Underrated Strengths for the Lakers: With rosters more or less set - though the Brooklyn Nets seem to keep finding dudes to add, somehow - and training camp still a few weeks away, it's a good time to look at where teams stand. This week, ESPN looked at some potential shortcomings for contenders that are perhaps flying under the radar. For the Lakers, it was whether Anthony Davis will embrace playing center. Obviously that's something talked about locally a ton, but it's easy to see how that could be a more granular topic for NBA fans out of market (given how much emphasis has been put on Westbrook's fit or outside shooting, for example). But it does beg the question, how much center is the right amount of center for Davis? Is it about minutes? Timing? Both? And moreover, how much of the conversation should be about the way in which Davis plays, not just the position at which he plays? How about a couple othe by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

37 min listen

Grading the Lakers' Offseason: Was Westbrook the Right Move? Guest, SI's Michael Pina: The Lakers took a massive swing this offseason, reconstructing what was already considered a championship roster around a trade for Russell Westbrook, adding to LeBron James and Anthony Davis and giving the Lakers a genuine Big Three. As has been discussed, the move comes with great potential benefits, but also plenty of potential problems. Nobody believes the Lakers won't be good - excellent if everyone is healthy - but was the Westbrook move really the best solution to last year's problems? Michael Pina, the outstanding NBA writer for Sports Illustrated, doesn't think so. In his evaluation of the Lakers' offseason, he expressed real concerns about the fit, and wondered whether the Lakers might have better off with something more simple (the potential Buddy Hield deal, for example). And if you don't like the Westbrook deal, it's hard to love everything that came after, even if the Lakers spent what by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

43 min listen

Will the Lakers Sign Anthony Davis to an Extension this Offseason? Plus, the Lakers-Nuggets Feud Grows!: With most of the big free agent work done, attention can turn to other important issues central to the team's future. Like what's coming for Anthony Davis. The Lakers star is eligible for a new contract extension before the season, one that could add another three years and nearly $168 million to his contract. ESPN's Dave McMenamin reports the Lakers are likely to come to some sort of arrangement with A.D. before the season starts - details TBD. Obviously those details matter, but bigger picture, it raises all kinds of questions about not only the Lakers and their future (this would be the first deal taking Davis well beyond the LeBron James Timeline, Davis will be well into his 30s, and so on) but the way contracts like this will be handled across the league. With the new CBA, will teams automatically give out these extensions/max contracts to star players? Is this something the La by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

LeBron James Pledges Never to Miss the Playoffs Again! Plus, Russell Westbrook Scenarios!: He's on vacation, but LeBron James, serial watcher of basketball, is still glued to a television watching the NBA Playoffs play out without him, doesn't like it, and Tweeted that never again will he miss the playoffs. But while James didn't mention the specific team he'll be with, he presumably meant "with the Lakers. But all jokes(?) aside, it's a reminder of how much distance the Lakers have to travel before contention, even on the fringes, is a legit possibility. So with that in mind, is it an opportunity for the team to enter next season with a little more humility? Talk about building to something, and maybe turn down the heat on the season at the start? Because they'll definitely be sporting a brand new roster, and Lord knows a little time under the radar could be helpful. From there, a comment left on the Locked On Lakers YouTube page provided the inspiration for an entire show on Friday. by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

32 min listen

LeBron James Gives an Injury Update (Sort of), D'Angelo Russell Opens Up about his Lakers Future: Updates about LeBron James and his injured foot have come out in drips and drabs, and have almost always been couched in very vague language that promises nothing and leaves only a sort of broad, general impression about what might maybe happen, perhaps with a week left in the season or maybe four days or possibly eight or maybe none. Point being, nobody has been saying anything even a little bit definitive. But perhaps it's still been too definitive for James, who put out his own update on social media, which let folks know what he's been up to and also did the SMH at "sources" out there. Granted, LeBron's update was equally fuzzy as anything else that's been reported, and didn't even really refute anything. So what was the point of putting it out there? Time to read some tea leaves! From there, the length of James's absence, combined with the quality of play from Austin Reaves, has some by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

32 min listen

LeBron James Confirms He's Not Retiring (SHOCKER!!!) and Darvin Ham Has Words For Mike Malone: It's official. During Wednesday's ESPY Awards, LeBron James confirmed he's not retiring and will return to the Lakers. You may go on living the lives you were already engaged in with no change whatsoever. But all jokes aside, while the news wasn't necessarily even news by this point, there was some interesting psychology with LeBron's theatricality, as well as what we suspect was actually going on in his head when he floated the idea of hanging up his sneaks for good. In the meantime, Darvin Ham is nothing if not confident. So when visiting the #thisleague UNCUT podcast with Chris Haynes and Marc Stein, maybe it shouldn't be surprising that Ham had some spicy moments. Those 10 teams that passed him up and hired other guys? They "****ed up, royally," he said. Denver coach Mike Malone, who (along with his team) spent an unusual amount of post-title time talking about beating the Lakers? Ham hea by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

30 min listen

Lakers lose to Nets, LeBron James Has a Foot Issue, Fans are Losing Patience.: The Lakers are faced with a genuine Catch-22. They may not be able to make the playoffs without pushing Anthony Davis and LeBron James past safe limits of physical output, but if the org pushes them past those limits either or both are likely to get hurt, in which case they'll miss the playoffs. This was the issue facing the Lakers Monday in Brooklyn, where both James and Davis sat the front end of a back-to-back following Saturday's epic OT loss to Boston. The hope was that maintenance was the driving force behind keeping both in street clothes, and in the case of Davis it probably was. But Monday we learned that LeBron is battling a foot problem that put a fresh spin on his absence. And Lakers coach Darvin Ham wouldn't say if James will play tonight against the Knicks at the Garden. He said they didn't want to get ahead of themselves. That's not going to make Lakers fans feel better! Because if there's no by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

Listeners React to Anthony Davis Trade Hypotheticals, and the Potential Return of Westbrook: Tuesday, the show was centered around the hypothetical idea of the Lakers trading Anthony Davis. Why they ought to at least consider it, how it might help LeBron James and what kinds of packages they should look for. (Especially when trading Russell Westbrook is/should be a higher priority.) It's a thought exercise as much as anything—the Lakers are very unlikely to actually move him—but gets to the challenge of this offseason. It elicited a lot of reaction, which kicks off Wednesday's episode as well. People thought it was a great idea or a monumentally stupid one, with very little in the middle. Which gets to how complicated the repair job is for the Lakers. There is no clear path, it's a bunch of options all muddy and overgrown. Wouldn't they be better off just rolling with the core they have, asks one listener to Locked On Lakers on YouTube? Very possibly! But possibly, not, too. Meanwhile, by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

How Much Will Austin Reaves Cost The Lakers in Free Agency? Can Anthony Davis Consistently Dominate?: The Lakers are hanging on the fringes of the Western Conference Play-In race (the top 6, at this point, is a real stretch). They've been doing it without LeBron James, who remains sidelined with a bum foot. Before Sunday's game, Darvin Ham said that the team expects James will be available before the end of the regular season. Yahoo's Chris Haynes reports that while it's certainly a possibility James could return, if he does, he won't be 100%. Or really anywhere close. So what exactly would the Lakers be getting with a diminished-but-available LeBron James? Is that guy enough to help fuel that miracle playoff run that some kiiiiiiinda refuse to rule out, just because he's LeBron James, has won a title with A.D., and the West just isn't that dominant this year? Is he enough to help get the Lakers through a play-in game or two? Most fans, right now at least, would take the latter and cro by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

35 min listen

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LeBron James Hasn't Signaled About a Contract Extension, and Anthony Davis is Shooting Again!

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