Confirmed deal : Lakers Predicted to Trade $36 Million Guard to Get Bench Help For LeBron and AD

 

 

The Los Angeles Lakers have struggled through the first 26 games of the 202402205 season, managing just a 14-12 record — and placing a significant burden on their two aging superstars, 31-year-old, 13th-year big man Anthony Davis and of course, the legendary LeBron James.

 

 

The 40-year-old (as of December 30) James, if he plays at least 10 minutes in Friday’s game, will surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most minutes played in an NBA career when the Lakers take on the Sacramento Kings on the road.

James in his 22nd season, which ties Vince Carter for the NBA’s longevity record, ranks 26th in the NBA this season in minutes per game, averaging 35 minutes while playing in 24 of the Lakers’ 26 contests.

 

 

That puts James on par with much younger players such as 30-year-old Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks who averages 35.2, and the Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown who at age 28 averages 35.3 minutes per game. Davis has played 35.3 minutes per game in 25 Lakers games this season.

 

 

With such a heavy load carried by the two stars, including the NBA’s oldest player in James, it shouldn’t be surprising that the Lakers bench has played the fourth-fewest minutes per game of any NBA team, with the average Los Angeles bench player getting on the court for just 15.5 minutes.

 

 

That’s why the Lakers are predicted, according to NBA experts at ESPN, to prioritize adding to their bench strength via the trade route. And the most likely candidate to be dealt away appears to be point guard D’Angelo “DLo” Russell.