During the NBA season and into the summer, Shams Charania's Inside Pass will tackle the news and transaction storylines that can shake up the league.
The Los Angeles Lakers (23-18) are sitting in a perilous position, currently just a game ahead of the Dallas Mavericks for sixth in the West, and the guaranteed playoff spot that comes with it. Their two cornerstones -- the 40-year-old LeBron James and Anthony Davis -- continue to perform at elite levels, both almost certain to make another All-Star Game appearance next month in San Francisco.
But with the Feb. 6 trade deadline a little more than two weeks away, league sources told ESPN that James and Davis are growing concerned about the Lakers' ability to make significant roster upgrades with their two tradeable first-rounders. James, a four-time champion, and Davis, a one-time champ, have expressed that they want the franchise to make moves to contend for a championship, with the co-stars believing the Lakers are potentially a piece or two away, sources said.
James and Lakers head coach J.J. Redick made some very telling comments after the team's road blowout loss to the LA Clippers on Sunday night.
