LeBron James has been here before.
You only have to go back to 2017-18 to find a time when he was playing at a high level but surrounded by a roster that wasn't working. That Cleveland Cavaliers team went 3-10 in the month following a Christmas Day loss to the Golden State Warriors, laying bare the problems with a roster that was heavy on big names -- future Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade, former MVP Derrick Rose, all-NBA point guard Isaiah Thomas -- and light on cohesion.
When trade deadline day arrived, Cleveland completely reshaped its roster, sending away Wade, Rose, Thomas, Channing Frye, Jae Crowder and Iman Shumpert in three separate deals. With the new players around him, James would carry Cleveland to its fourth consecutive NBA Finals appearance.
Los Angeles Lakers fans shouldn't expect history to repeat itself in 2022 -- at least, not as it pertains to February. While James is still playing at a high level, posting his highest scoring average since 2009-10, the Lakers don't have the ability to make a series of sweeping roster-changing trades. More likely than not, the Lakers' roster is going to look very similar on Feb. 11 to how it does now.
Here are the three reasons why the Lakers are likely going to be stuck at the trade deadline.
