NBA Exec on LeBron James' Lakers: 'I Don't Want Any Piece of Them in the Playoffs'

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The Los Angeles Lakers have been a disjointed mess since the start of the 2023-24 season, and they failed to make any meaningful upgrades ahead of the NBA trade deadline. Still, are you betting against LeBron James in the playoffs?

At least one executive from a Western Conference rival isn't.

"I don't want any piece of them in the playoffs," the exec said to ESPN's Dave McMenamin.

Los Angeles is ninth in the Western Conference at 28-26, 3.5 games behind the sixth-place New Orleans Pelicans and only 1.5 games ahead of the Utah Jazz in 11th.

There are plenty of indicators pointing to an argument the Lakers are destined for an early postseason exit, assuming they even get that far.

They're 19th in net rating (minus-0.8), per NBA.com, despite James and Anthony Davis not only continuing to perform at high levels but also staying healthy. Austin Reaves hasn't taken a significant step forward. Gabe Vincent has missed all but five games. Rui Hachimura's shooting has regressed closer toward its usual levels after he made 48.7 percent of his threes during the 2023 playoffs.

Head coach Darvin Ham isn't leaning on what sparked the team's turnaround last season, either.

More than anything, the Lakers winning just 43 games and reaching the Western Conference Finals might have been a bit of a mirage.

Ja Morant played through a hand injury, while the Memphis Grizzlies totally wilted under the spotlight. The Golden State Warriors were the reigning champions but clearly entering the twilight of their dynastic run. Once L.A. encountered a truly elite foe, it got swept by the Denver Nuggets. While the series was closer than the 4-0 outcome might lead one to believe, there was no disputing which was the stronger squad.

General manager Rob Pelinka's approach to the deadline seemed to be a pretty decisive indicator as to where the current squad stands.

Maybe the asking price for Atlanta Hawks star Dejounte Murray was simply too high. But Pelinka could've made some marginal additions or gotten creative in the same way he managed to overhaul the roster at the 2023 deadline despite not having a lot to sell.

An obvious assumption is that the front office doesn't believe the Lakers are good enough right now to win a title. They need a lot more than Murray or the combined value of smaller deals could've provided.

As fans have seen from recent years, having James on the roster no longer offers any guarantees in terms of how far you advance in the playoffs.