An anonymous Western Conference executive has sensationally claimed that Lebron James is no longer untouchable and could be involved in a trade to accommodate French giant Victor Wembanyama in next year’s NBA draft.
The hype surrounding the 7-foot-4 generational talent continues to build since his dominant displays in two exhibition games against the NBA G League Ignite for the Metropolitans 92 earlier this month, combining for 73 points in total.
However, it’s his ability to truly do it all on a basketball court that has now made teams want to tank this season for him in the ‘Race for Vic’, who shot 7-of-11 from three in Game 1 and grabbed more than 15 rebounds over the course of both contests.
The 2023 NBA Draft order will be determined by the annual lottery on May 17 involving all 14 teams that fail to make the playoffs. Teams with the worst records will have better odds of winning the lottery, but only to a point. The three worst NBA teams this season will each have a 14-percent chance of getting the top selection, unless they can acquire additional lottery picks through trades.
An unnamed NBA GM has revealed that he would trade Lebron James for Victor Wembanyama
The anonymous source said teams can longer build around James, 37, in the years to come
Despite the limited odds of wining the lottery, the non-competitive spirit to draft the 18-year-old has gotten so bad that NBA commission Adam Silver has had to issue a warning earlier this month in preseason.
‘I know that many of our NBA teams are salivating at the notion that potentially through our lottery, they can get him, so they should all still compete very hard next season,’ he told reporters in Abu Dhabi ahead of a Hawks-Bucks preseason game.
And now, general managers around the league have been asked to list the players that they deem as untradable, even if its for Wembanyama in return. Among these untouchables feature Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, MVP Nikola Jovic and Joel Embiid.
However, one player who wasn’t mentioned in that elite-tier is the man many dub as ‘The King’.
‘Who wouldn’t I trade?,’ an unnamed Western Conference executive told David Aldridge, of The Athletic. ‘You have Durant. You have Giannis. I can’t put [Lebron James] in that conversation, just because of his age. Curry. Jokic. And Embiid.
‘I would say organizationally, you have to have that conversation. I’m not saying I would do it. But I think those five push that question.’
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has warned rebuilding teams to not tank in the ‘Race for Vic’
All things considered, James, who will turn 38 in December, is no longer at an age where teams want to build a roster around him. Although his offense prowess keeps getting better as seasons go by, it would be a shock to see a rebuilding team trade for a player who probably won’t stay in the league in the long run.
And that’s what makes the hype surrounding Wembanyama even more worth it, according to an NBA executive who claimed he’d draft the phenom ‘even if he broke both of his legs,’ reported Bleacher Report.
Naturally, most NBA teams want to have a handful of bad seasons to rebuild with draft picks who they can then build around and be successful with in the long run, and that’s why many front office heads want 18-year-old ‘Vic’.
Nonetheless, that doesn’t take away the recognition that many, if not all, general managers in the league have for James as one of the greatest to ever play the game as he continues to show that age is just a number after his latest display against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday in one of two NBA season opening games.
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James’ performance was sensational, registering 31 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists in the 123-109 loss. He shot 48 percent overall from the field, and exactly 30 percent from deep.
The Lakers, who are 0-1, will next face the Clippers in the battle of LA on Thursday evening before playing another West Coast team for a third time in a row on Sunday against the Portland Trailblazers.
And like the Lakers, many other teams around the league will lose some games early on too, meaning the ‘Race for Vic’ has only just begun.
Wembanyama met James after ‘The King’ saw him play against the G League Ignite in Nevada
