Live broadcast on December 30 after losing to the heat in the last game, James’s comments after the game attracted wide attention. He said: “If the lineup is appropriate, I can bring the performance that any team deserves.”
Many people interpret this as James wants to leave the hopeless Lakers, while Lakers reporter Harrison Faigen pointed out that it is impossible for James to leave the Lakers this season because from the contract, James cannot be traded this season.
During the off-season this year, James and the Lakers reached a renewal contract of 97.1 million dollars for two years. This contract restricted James from being able to be traded within six months of signing the contract, however, he signed the contract on August 18. When his trading qualification was unlocked (February 18, 2023), nine days had passed since the trading deadline (February 9).