Pierce suggested that the Lakers trade LeBron James: Trading James in exchange for some puzzle pieces will give them a better chance of competing for the championship

On November 8, NBA legend Pierce made controversial remarks again. He bluntly said that the Lakers would be more competitive in competing for the championship by trading James in exchange for some puzzle pieces.

Pierce was a guest on Garnett's podcast "KG: Certified", when talking about James, Pierce believed that it would be better for the Lakers to trade James. He said: "If I were the general manager, I would trade LeBron James. We have seen what happened last season. They were swept out. If they can add some other small pieces of the puzzle, then they have a chance (to compete for the championship), because it will be more competitive."

Pierce suggested that the Lakers trade James, but Pierce should not forget that James has the right to veto the transaction. In other words, as long as James does not agree, the transaction cannot be completed; besides, the Lakers will not trade James; before the trade deadline last season, the Warriors tried to promote a James trade, but in the end both the Lakers and James rejected the Warriors.

James did not travel with the team for five consecutive away games, but he is undergoing recovery training. Redick said: Since James has been allowed to participate in confrontational basketball activities, the team is gradually advancing his recovery plan; James may train with the team's G League affiliated team, the South Bay Lakers, but no final decision has been made yet.

Since the start of the 2025-26 season, James has been absent from games due to sciatica, but the Lakers have a very good record, with 7 wins and 2 losses in 9 games and currently ranked second in the Western Conference. According to current inferences, James is most likely to return in the home game against the Jazz on November 19 or the away game against the Jazz on November 24. How can the Lakers perform after James returns? Let’s wait and see.