NBA legend and former LeBron James rival Paul Pierce has become an outspoken voice since his retirement and often his takes have drawn ridicule. That may be the case with his latest take involving both the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers have a chance at a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference and appear poised to make a deep playoff run. However, this may be their last dance with star Donovan Mitchell, who is reportedly is uninterested in re-signing there.
NBA buzz suggests Donovan Mitchell will decline extension and look elsewhere unless Cavs make Finals: https://t.co/ZL9W78Xjkn
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 5, 2024
Meanwhile, the Lakers are guaranteed to make the play-in tournament and have proven that they can go far no matter where they are seeded. Still, there is a very real possibility that the Lakers lose the play-in tournament and fail to make the playoffs.
This comes after making the Western Conference Finals last season and winning the first-ever NBA Cup this season. That would be embarrassing to say the least and, even worse, may convince LeBron that he would need to take his talents elsewhere.
Pierce's bold Lakers and Cavs trade proposal might be crazy enough to work
With LeBron able to leave this summer in free agency and Mitchell unlikely to stay in Cleveland, Pierce suggests that the Lakers and Cavaliers swap stars.
Paul Pierce says the Lakers and Cavs should consider a LeBron James for Donovan Mitchell trade
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 9, 2024
"If [The Lakers] flame out & lose in the play-in, I would consider — if I was LeBron [James] — being traded back to Cleveland for Donovan Mitchell... Bronny gets picked up by [the… pic.twitter.com/3GBuYwam2T
While the Cavs could get several assets were they to trade Mitchell to another team such as the New York Knicks or Miami Heat, bringing LeBron back might be too good for them to pass up. For the Lakers, they have been linked to star guards recently and are likely to aggressively pursue one in a trade in hopes of convincing LeBron to stay.
However, as Pierce points out, if they flame out and miss the postseason, he may choose to leave unless a trade can be arranged that works out to his advantage. Returning to the Cavs to finish out his career would be a storybook ending and the Cavs would still have plenty of talent, with all-stars Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen as well as rising star Evan Mobley.
It's not entirely far-fetched but the Lakers could still make the playoffs and even win a round, which would change the outlook of their season and possibly buy them time this summer to make a big move or two.
If they can add a third star and land Bronny James, then they will almost certainly be able to convince LeBron to stay. As for Cleveland, they will have no shortage of suitors for Mitchell this summer so they can also make a move that could also benefit their team.
Overall, Pierce's suggestion of a LeBron-Mitchell swap isn't as crazy as many of his previous takes. Still, both teams have other options before resorting to such a dramatic trade.