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THROWBACK: When Former Celtics Star Suggested Lakers Should Trade LeBron James

Published 06/10/2020, 2:57 AM EDT

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The 2019/20 season has been by far the best season for Los Angeles Lakers after their last title in 2010. That they have performed so well can be brought down to two marquee signings that they managed in the last two summers- LeBron James in 2018 and Anthony Davis in 2019.

With James and Davis leading the team, the Lakers have been one of the top contenders to win the 2019/20 NBA title. Prior to the league’s suspension, they were on top of the Western Conference with 49 wins. Their 0.778 record was second only to Milwaukee Bucks in the league. James has led the league in assists this season with 10.6 assists per game.

Yet in 2019, former Boston Celtics star Paul Pierce felt the Lakers should have traded James if they were to get the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Many had already assumed it was Zion Williamson who would be the No. 1 pick in the draft.

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Pierce’s logic said that James was already 36 by then and it would not be long before his career would end. Williamson, on the other hand, was a 19-year old with a potential as big as what James possessed at his age.

“If the Lakers got the #1 pick, I would trade LeBron James. You’re talking about 3 years left of LeBron or 15 years left of Zion,” he said.

Paul Pierce has previously been critical of LeBron James

Only last month, Pierce excluded James from his list of top five players of all-time. He backed his comments saying James never built an organization from the scrap like others such as Michael Jordan had done.

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A few days later, he also said that James underachieved at Miami Heat. Forming a big three with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, Pierce felt, James and co. should have achieved a lot more then.

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“Let’s be honest. When we saw that LeBron was going to Miami with D Wade and Chris Bosh, did you not think they would run the table? It was like, that team, nobody can beat them. They should’ve been 1-4, they skated with 2-4 but they probably should’ve won 3 out of 4,” he said.

 

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Written by:

Saketh Kandadai

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