Lakers Rumors: LAL 'Have Not Reacted to' LeBron James' 'Maneuvers' About Trade Help

The Los Angeles Lakers haven't yet deviated from their original NBA trade deadline plans despite star LeBron James indirectly applying some pressure to the organization, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst.

Windhorst said Sunday on SportsCenter that "we're about an '8' on the 'LeBron Passive Aggressive Trade Deadline' time scale." This is after James posted an hourglass emoji on X, formerly known as Twitter, with no additional context.

Windhorst reported, however, Los Angeles isn't showing signs of sudden desperation.

"The Lakers to this point, from what I am told by sources, have not reacted to LeBron's maneuvers, including wearing the Knicks towel last night, and they have kind of held firm in their talks," he said. "The issue with the Lakers is they have only a couple of draft assets left, and they just want to hold onto them."

James has become a master of passive aggression, and he's turning to that playbook with Thursday's deadline fast approaching.

It's not just that the four-time MVP said he remains undecided about whether he'll pick up his $51.4 million player option for next season. It's that paired with him saying he has weighed the idea of playing with the New York Knicks in the past, wearing a Knicks towel to the locker room after Saturday' 113-105 win, and responding to a post from business partner Paul Rivera with Statue of Liberty and crown emojis.

James' agent, Rich Paul, told Windhorst the 20-time All-Star "won't be traded" and doesn't intend to request a trade, but that does little to dampen the intrigue. It's not as though fans believed there was a plausible scenario in which the Lakers voluntarily dealt one of the greatest players in NBA history.

In the past, front offices have felt compelled to act thanks to the looming threat of LeBron's free agency or the simple fact he could ask for a trade at any point. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka totally overhauled the roster prior to the 2023 trade deadline.

But this might be the first time Pelinka could effectively call James' bluff.

Standing pat or making marginal deals is arguably in the Lakers' best interest. ESPN's Dave McMenamin laid out in January how L.A. can move up to three first-round picks starting on the day of the 2024 draft. That opens up much bigger avenues in terms of the stars Pelinka could pursue.

Sure James would likely be frustrated by the franchise's inaction, but would that actually lead him leave?

The 39-year-old has already afforded the Lakers more slack than he did his last two teams. For the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers, reaching the NBA Finals wasn't enough to keep him around. Los Angeles, meanwhile, hasn't advanced that far since winning the title in 2020 and missed the 2022 playoffs altogether.

The simple fact is, James originally signed with the Lakers for reasons that extended beyond his basketball career. Calling Los Angeles home for six years has significantly benefited him away from the court.

Unless the Lakers totally collapse down the stretch, it's tough to envision him giving that up when he has already had plenty of reasons to question the organization's short- and long-term direction in previous seasons.