On March 2, Beijing time, the 2021-22 NBA regular season was in full swing. In recent times, Lakers star James has become the focus of fan and media attention. Due to the team's poor record and recent remarks that his future was uncertain, James was booed by home fans in the team's last 28-point loss to the Pelicans.
Although James has denied his departure rumors in front of the camera, there is still a lot of media analysis on this matter. Earlier today, Sports Illustrated NBA reporter Chris Mannix spoke about James' future, mentioning the Nuggets' name in an analysis of James' potential home!
Chris Mannix started with a past story from 2018, saying: "The Nuggets tried to get James in 2018, when he was a free agent, and nuggets officials told me, 'We want to pursue James, we want to get a chance to meet with Rich Paul and James.'" We don't care what kind of contract he signs, for a year or five years, whatever he wants to do, we want him. ’”
Chris Mannix then said: "Michael Porter Jr. became a feared player with a back injury, but when he was in good shape, we have seen in the last year or two that he has the potential to become an elite scorer. When he's all right, he's probably better than any player the Lakers get in these James trades. And he's in his early 20s, and as long as he's healthy, the Nuggets can try to give the Lakers an offer with Michael Porter Jr. as the core chip. ”
Chris Mannix continued: "I insist that the Nuggets are a team that cannot be predicted in the future direction of James because their general manager, Tim Connery, believes in the effects of a big deal. Now the Nuggets have Jokic and Murray, plus James, and they will be the biggest favorites for the Western Conference champions. You have an MVP, an All-Star level player, and James will most likely be somewhere between MVP and All-Star level. In short, if the Lakers are interested in trading James, the Nuggets are a team worth paying attention to. ”
So far this season, the Lakers are 9th in the West with 27 wins and 33 losses, and James is averaging 29 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game. The Nuggets currently rank 6th in the West with 36 wins and 25 losses, and Jokic is averaging 25.5 points, 13.8 rebounds and 8 assists per game, and he is both last season's MVP and this season's MVP candidate.