LeBron James’ ex-teammate has said that the GOAT conversation would have been wrapped up if the LA Lakers had not made a big trade.
The 40-year-old is currently on four NBA championships and is two behind Michael Jordan.
The two are often pitted against each other in the GOAT conversation, with many giving His Airness the edge because of the six championships he won with the Chicago Bulls.
Although media narratives have put the two against each other, Jordan has in the past shown he has respect for LeBron James and his game, this was also recently confirmed in one of the pieces written by Elliot Barnes.
However, the 21-time All-Star’s former teammate has now come out and said the debate would be over if the LA Lakers had not made a massive trade.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was part of the LA Lakers team that won the championship in 2020.
James was the Finals MVP that year and played great alongside KCP.
The following season, the Lakers failed to get past the first round and this led to the front office deciding to break the team off and send Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Kuzma to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Russell Westbrook.
Speaking on what could have happened if the trade did not happen, Caldwell-Pope said: “That team, we had a lot of moments where everything just clicked for us.
“Off the court, on the court, inviting to each other’s houses, we were just hanging out with each other.
“Those were my brothers, I spent more time with my team than my family… I think if we kept that team together, we would’ve run off two more.
“There would be no more GOAT talk, that would’ve put [LeBron] at six.”
With the likes of KCP, Alex Caruso and Dwight Howard, the Lakers had a well-balanced roster with brilliance on both ends of the floor.
However, they decided to give that up after a bad postseason run and brought Westbrook to LA by trading two key pieces.
With Westbrook on the team, the Lakers had a disastrous 2021-22 season and did not make the playoffs, while Caldwell-Pope made his way to the Denver Nuggets after a year with the Washington Wizards and won a championship in 2023.
Rob Pelinka revealed the team were trying their best to get LeBron James another ring before he calls time on his career.
The move for Doncic was a step in the right direction, but there is still work to be done if James is to add another championship to his name.
Pelinka revealed plans of adding a center in the offseason and while that could help James massively, the Lakers still need another reliable shooter to make them a championship contender.
A lot of rumors have indicated Austin Reaves could be on his way out, but that is not something the Lakers would consider without having a big name involved.
James is still playing on a high level and is expected to be back for the next season.
The status around his contract is still unknown, but Shams Charania has revealed the Lakers player is likely to opt in.
James could help his side save over $100 million if he signs a veteran minimum, but it looks like James is unlikely to take that option.
While that will make things difficult for the front office, the Lakers are still are a big market team and will attract some big stars especially with James and Doncic on the roster.
