The Lakers have won four consecutive games this season after the victory over the Hawks, which is the Longest consecutive win of the Season for the Lakers, and the Lakers have not yet tasted defeat in 2022. In this game, James performed well, playing the fifth position, and he could score both down the basket and the outside projection. In addition, Bradley and Munch also performed very well in this game, both of them can hit the outside and shoot, opening up the offensive space for James. The reason for the Lakers' recent record has improved significantly is that the team's defense has increased, and the addition of Stanley Johnson and the return of other defensive players have made the team's defense visible to the naked eye.
While playing an excellent record, the Lakers are also planning a deal. According to media reports, the effect after Wei Shao joined was not as expected, and the team has tried to send Wei Shao away. Some media pointed out that the Lakers intend to trade Simmons, who is at the peak of his career and has good organizational skills and defensive ability. If the Lakers trade Simmons with Westbrook, the team's defensive level can be improved again, and Simmons is younger than Westbrook, and he can become one of the core players of the Lakers' future team.
However, Philadelphia's offer disappointed the Lakers. According to media reports, Philadelphia's offer is still very high, even if Simmons does not shoot well, but the team's asking price for Simmons is still Lillard and Bill-level players, that is, the kind of guards who have strong scoring ability and projection ability. Philadelphia lost to the Hawks in the playoffs last season, losing to Simmons' shot, and Simmons' free throw was so bad that it could affect the course of the series. So Philadelphia learned the lesson that for other teams to trade Simmons, they have to send the league's top ten defenders and have good shooting ability.
Simmons can only say goodbye to James! Simmons and James' agents are both Rich Paul, if the two join forces, it is obviously Rich Paul is happy to see, but Philadelphia's high offer makes the Lakers very helpless. Some media pointed out that Westbrook's contract is too big, and almost no team in the league is interested in getting him in the deal. With a contract of $44 million this season and $47 million next season, Westbrook's current performance does not match his worth. In short, no team is willing to be the wronged head and take over the big contract of Wei Shao, and Wei Shao can only rot in the hands of the Lakers.