Lakers Rumors: 'Totally False' LeBron James, Anthony Davis, GM Aligned at Deadline

LeBron James and Anthony Davis reportedly didn't support the idea of the Los Angeles Lakers not making any moves at the NBA trade deadline.

ESPN's Dave McMenamin said Friday that despite Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka saying he, LeBron and AD were in "alignment" when it came to not making a trade, a source close to James and Davis said Pelinka's statement was "totally false."

The Lakers have been one of the NBA's biggest disappointments this season, as they are only 26-30, which has them in ninth place in the Western Conference.

McMenamin noted that the Lakers held trade talks with the Houston Rockets and New York Knicks, but Pelinka was against including a first-round draft pick in any trade packages.

Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported that the Lakers discussed a trade with Houston that would have seen them send guard Russell Westbrook to the Rockets for guard John Wall, but the inclusion of a first-round pick was a sticking point.

Prior to the deadline, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported on the framework of a potential three-way trade between the Lakers, Knicks and Toronto Raptors that would have resulted in L.A. landing Cam Reddish and Alec Burks from New York.

That trade never happened either, and ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski later reported that the Lakers are expected to be players on the buyout market instead.

The superstar duo of James and Davis led the Lakers to a championship two seasons ago, and they could be a threat this season if both players are able to remain healthy, which hasn't been the case for much of the campaign.

The biggest issue is a lack of production around them, especially when it comes to Westbrook, who has become something of an albatross.

Los Angeles had little in the way of assets to offer teams at the deadline aside from a 2027 first-round draft pick, and if Pelinka was unwilling to part with it, there wasn't much that could be done.

There could be some intriguing options on the buyout market, though, including guards Dennis Schroder and Goran Dragic, who were both moved at the deadline.

It is possible the Lakers needed to make a bigger move to truly compete with the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies in the West, but that trade may not have been available to them even if they were willing to trade a first-rounder.