Los Angeles Lakers

Even Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner believes the Los Angeles Lakers should take a "very hard look" at potentially trading for him amidst a 1-5 start.

"If I'm the Lakers, I take a very hard look at this with the position that you're in," he told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on his The Woj Pod when asked if the Lakers should trade two future first-round picks for him. "I know what I can provide for a team. My leadership, my shot-blocking, my three-point ability and just my ability to make plays out there on the floor. And I take a very long look at it. But as far as pulling the trigger, you know... I get paid to shoot, not making these calls, so I couldn't answer that."

Should the Lakers give up the two picks? Full audio of Pacers center Myles Turner on The Woj Pod: https://t.co/yP00bwvnMZ pic.twitter.com/GZvSg9BLyp

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 31, 2022

Given Russell Westbrook's struggles since joining the Lakers and his poor fit next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis, he was the subject of relentless trade rumors throughout the entire summer.

One of the most persistent rumors was a trade to the Pacers, alongside the Lakers' first-round picks in 2027 and 2029, for Turner and Buddy Hield.

While the future draft capital would be steep, both Turner and Hield would be more natural fits for the Lakers than Westbrook. Turner's shot-blocking would allow the Lakers to play AD at the 4, saving him some wear-and-tear during the regular season, while his ability to shoot from the perimeter wouldn't completely kill the team's spacing.

Turner is averaging 16 points, eight rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game in two contests this season, shooting 38.1 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from three.

And Hield would give them a much-needed shooter to help with the aforementioned spacing, allowing James to more comfortably play his role as the primary playmaker on offense.

It would also put an end to the Westbrook circus, and the corresponding media storm. The latest turn has been the veteran point guard and former MVP coming off the bench in the past two games, an experiment that seemed to work in the team's 121-110 win over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday, ending a five-game losing streak.

"To be a player of his caliber and asked to come off the bench, that's truly a guy doing whatever the team asks to get a win," Davis told reporters regarding Westbrook. "Sacrifice his starting position for the betterment of the team. He's flourished in that role. That's all we can ask for. I told him, 'Just keep what you're doing, man. Everything you're doing is unbelievable.' In the last two games, he just kind of been doing his thing. Proud of him."

For many Lakers fans, those two games aren't going to erase the tumultuous nature of Westbrook's entire tenure in Los Angeles. It may buy the Lakers time to take a longer look at whether it's a sustainable situation in the long term, however.

The Los Angeles Lakers are a mess.

A 1-5 start, reports that they brought in veteran journeyman Mo Harkless in search of roster depth, and the consistent drama surrounding Russell Westbrook and his role with the team has this Lakers squad looking like the furthest thing from a playoff participant, let alone an NBA Championship contender.

Sprinkle in another injury-plagued campaign for Anthony Davis, the face of the franchise Lebron James commenting on said injury to the media, and head coach Darvin Ham cracking about the lack of scoring behind the team's two stars and you have a season that sounds more like a Halloween horror flick than the return to form those involved had hoped for.

While the problems are many and unsolvable with a single transaction, there is one trade Los Angeles could engage in that would provide them with the spark needed on offense and resolve the Westbrook dilemma.

https://twitter.com/TheRally/status/1584658809632743425

That trade? For the Charlotte Hornets' Terry Rozier.

---

Make the Trade for Terry Rozier

The Lakers are 28th in the league in scoring, averaging 105.3 points per game. Only the Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers have averaged less at 104.8 and 100.7 respectively. Their field goal percentage is only better than the Houston Rockets' tally in the league, whilst their percentage from beyond the arc is the worst.

They are offensively inept and, while Ham's attempt to change things up by having Westbrook come off the bench may have looked promising on night one, the likelihood that a star player and former NBA MVP will remain content with being the team's sixth man instead of appearing in the starting lineup is low.

Westbrook is in the midst of the worst season of his storied career. While the argument can be made that it is only five games into the current season, the numbers are trending downward (13.4 points, 34.3 from the field, 20.0 from beyond the arc) for a guy who has already been at the center of media scrutiny.

It is no wonder Ham played with his use, hoping a new role would help rejuvenate one of the great scorers of the modern era. Maybe it will. It certainly did Sunday, when Westbrook helped fuel the Lakers to their first win this season. Still, it is far too early in the experiment to determine whether Westbrook will excel coming off the bench to help benefit a team that needs any spark it can get.

I’m loving Russ in this new role. It’s only 2 gms, but he’s embraced it and looks good 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) October 31, 2022

The Lakers, though, do not have the time to wait and see if the Westbrook experiment works. If there is any hope for them to make a splash in the postseason and become contenders by the time the end of the regular season arrives, the front office needs to concoct a trade for Charlotte's Rozier, with interest on Los Angeles' part first reported on by The Athletic's Shams Charania.

More importantly, they need to do so much quicker than the proposed post-Thanksgiving timeline reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

"I’m told to expect Rob Pelinka and the Lakers to wait until post-Thanksgiving, 20 games into the season and see what teams may start pivoting, who don’t start off well who decide that they may start to unload players and perhaps get involved in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes to get down in the lottery," (h/t Silver Screen and Roll).

Sending Westbrook, a second player, perhaps an underwhelming Kendrick Nunn, and a future first-round draft pick to Charlotte for Rozier would not only get the Lakers their man, but also provide the Hornets with some salary cap relief. The idea of clearing some money off the books may be more valuable to Charlotte than a second pick.

Rozier entered the season on the heels of the two best of his career and is currently averaging 23.5 points per game, though has only suited up twice for Charlotte this season.

A better player than Westbrook at this point, he would provide the Lakers with the change the team needs if it hopes to shake off the sub-par start to the season and go on a comeback run. A starting lineup that pairs him, James, Davis, Lonnie Walker Jr. and, potentially, Patrick Beverley or Dennis Schroeder, is more appealing for Los Angeles if for no other reason than the energy the 28-year-old will bring to the table.

Does he have the playoff experience that Westbrook does? No. Is he as consistently prolific as the former Most Valuable Player has been at times in his career? Also no, but it is abundantly clear that the Lakers have to find a way to offload Westbrook and bring in a star to replace him, hopefully revitalizing its roster and providing an offensive ignition that one of the worst-scoring teams in the league desperately needs.

As for Westbrook, he can head to Charlotte and play alongside LaMelo Ball, the young star-in-the-making, perhaps rejuvenating the veteran's career. At worst, the Hornets move one step closer to acquiring one of the top prospects in the draft.

It is a win-win situation for the Hornets and a desperate move for a Lakers team that is not even remotely close to where it envisioned itself at this point in the young season.

LeBron James' decision to publicly state his desire to play in the NBA alongside his son, Bronny James, has reportedly "complicated" the 18-year-old guard's college recruitment.

Sources on college coaching staffs told Dana O'Neil of The Athletic that the James family has been "as low-maintenance as a megastar can be," but the potential desire to fast-track Bronny's path to the NBA to play with his four-time MVP father is an issue.

"That just complicated everything," an unnamed college coach told O'Neil about LeBron's comments.

Bronny has garnered plenty of hype—247Sports' composite rankings list him as 4-star prospect and the No. 45 overall player in the 2023 class—but coaches don't necessarily see him as a lock to emerge as a one-and-done college player.

Instead, those recruiting James' eldest son—15-year-old Bryce is also starting to garner attention as he arrives to high school—see a player who "might not be NBA-ready after two or even three years," per O'Neil.

The question is whether the James family is willing to wait for a more natural, long-term college career or if they'll push for heavy involvement during his freshman season with a focus on Bronny entering the 2024 NBA draft when first eligible.

LeBron's latest contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers includes a player option for the 2024-25 season, meaning he could opt out and hit free agency with an eye toward signing with whichever team drafts his son in 2024.

Along with the timeline, the other issue raised by college coaches is the amount of attention Bronny will bring to the program, for better or worse.

"And this is LeBron's kid," one coach told O'Neil. "If you play him 30 minutes and then you don't win, what are you doing? But if you play him eight minutes and you do win, are people going to think you're an assh--e for not playing LeBron's kid?"

Another added: "Whether he scores four points or 40, it's going to be talked about the next morning on First Take. Not if your team won, but how Bronny played."

Put it all together and a picture emerges about potentially why no favorites have emerged in the race to land the top-50 prospect. It's a complex situation to handle despite the 6'3" combo guard's ability to provide a major boost, both on and off the court.

Bronny has long-term NBA upside, but his game would need to evolve significantly over the next 24 months for him to prove himself ready for the professional ranks in 2024-25.

The Los Angeles Lakers sit at 1-5 in the NBA's Western Conference for a myriad of reasons: lack of shooting, bad offense and injuries, to name a few.

But the most glaring reason is the diminished play of Russell Westbrook.

The embattled former MVP has played some of the worst basketball of his career while donning the Purple and Gold, so the Lakers have been trying to trade him for a while.

One of the biggest questions the front office has to consider is how it can move Westbrook and what it will have to give up in order to do so.

Lately, the rumors have L.A. shipping Westbrook to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Jordan Clarkson.

Utah is in the throes of a rebuild, so it would make sense to move the 30-year-old guard because of his value on the market as a proven scorer and his expiring contract.

But according to ESPN's Zach Lowe, the Jazz are "super reluctant" to deal Clarkson, who has become a fan favorite and is a vital cog for a team with a surprising 5-2 record.

"I've heard the same stuff that other people have reported that they are just super reluctant to move Clarkson," Lowe said on his podcast The Lowe Post. "They're really fond of him for whatever reason, so I would peg him as the least likely of all these Jazz guys to get traded."

Clarkson, the 2020-21 Sixth Man of the Year, is in the starting lineup for the first time in seven years, and it's been a game-changer for the team's chemistry.

He's averaging 17.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game and turning heads for the way his improved all-around play has helped the Jazz stay in the win column.

Utah head coach Will Hardy told reporters after Saturday's win over the Memphis Grizzlies:

"That's all Jordan. I have not begged him to be a playmaker. I think I've tried to explain to him where he fits in with this group and try to empower him in that way. I've told him if the game tells him to shoot 10 times in a row, then he should shoot 10 times in a row, but I just think he has more to offer us on that end, and we saw some big passes from him down the stretch tonight. But in no way have I had to beg Jordan to play this way. He's been amazing all year, throughout training camp, and then this early part of the season. So credit to him."

From the looks of it, Utah wants to keep Clarkson, but that doesn't mean it won't move him for the right deal, which is another problem for the Lakers.

L.A. has little to offer the Jazz or anyone else in a potential Westbrook deal.

The Lakers can only sweeten the Westbrook pot with a 2027 first-round pick, which is not enough for most teams.

But time changes everything, and so does winning or losing.

As teams pile up losses, whether because they're not very good or they want to tank for a chance to draft generational talent Victor Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson, more doors will open for the Lakers and Westbrook.

But to get to that point, Westbrook will have to play well enough to show teams he's still got it.

Based on the last two games, that plan may be headed in the right direction.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SUap35nG9k

Thanks to Westbrook's 18 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, the Lakers got their first win of the season Sunday against the Denver Nuggets at home.

For the first time in quite a while, Westbrook heard cheers from the home crowd, which was a welcome sound for him, his team and his prospects moving forward.

Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said after the game:

"I'm so happy, man. I can't even imagine what that kid has been going through. One of the biggest things about me getting this job was for him to get that respect that he deserved, because a lot of what went on last year was not his fault and all the blame was placed on him.

"I told him, 'Just listen to me, believe in me, bro, I'm going to put you in a position to succeed with the group, but you have to put the group first. It can't be about me, or I or mine. It's got to be us, ours, we,' and he's done that."

Embracing the sixth-man role has been difficult for Westbrook, but in the win over Denver, he was energetic, pressing and making better decisions with the ball. The Lakers desperately need that from the veteran point guard, not only to compete, but also to have better options should they decide to trade him.

"One thing I never will let happen is people outside of my family, [the] people that support me, take my joy," Westbrook told reporters Sunday. "Always have fun and embrace this game, and embrace the gift I've been given to be able to go out and compete.

"And yes, winning makes you feel better about yourself. But when you're losing, it's not as much fun. Tonight was a night where we were able to have a chance."

Westbrook's right. Winning does make everyone feel better. Should the Lakers build on their first victory of the year and keep winning, the noise around the former UCLA standout will quiet down, and maybe they can ride it out.

But if they still want to trade Westbrook, they should definitely try for Clarkson.

Many may point to the fact that they play with the same kind of shoot-first mentality, but the differentiator between them is that Clarkson can shoot.

He can take some pressure off LeBron James and Anthony Davis because there's no way a defender is lagging off him, daring him to pull the trigger.

He's too lethal, especially when he gets it going.

Clarkson won't find his way to the Hall of Fame like Westbrook, but as L.A. works to address its many issues, trading the latter for the former makes all the sense in the world.

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook said he didn't allow outside negativity to impact him during a sluggish start to the 2022-23 NBA season.

"One thing that I never will let happen is people outside of my family and people who support me take my joy," Westbrook told reporters after Sunday's 121-110 win over the Denver Nuggets. "I always have fun and embrace this game and the gift I've been given to be able to go out and compete."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SUap35nG9k

L.A. shifted the nine-time All-Star to the bench for the past two games while seeking a spark amid an 0-5 start to the campaign.

While the sample size is small, the early returns suggest Westbrook running the second unit could provide a more balanced Lakers offense.

After scoring 18 points in a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, marking his first appearance off the bench since his 2008-09 rookie year, he tallied 18 points, eight rebounds and eight assists while shooting 50 percent from the field (6 of 12) against the Nuggets.

LeBron James paced the Lakers with 26 points, while Anthony Davis chipped in 23 points and 15 rebounds en route to the team's first win of the campaign.

"I love seeing my teammates flourish; honestly, I get joy by seeing others do great. My whole career what's lifted me up is to see others do well," Westbrook said. "Tonight was that night when guys were making shots and competing, and that's all you can ask for."

Sunday's game represented a look at L.A.'s path to success: James and Davis being healthy and leading the first unit with Westbrook coming off the bench to handle a more ball-dominant role when the team's two cornerstones are getting a breather.

Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said the 2016-17 NBA MVP has been "nothing short of amazing" over the past two games while adapting to the new reserve role:

Ham said one of his main goals w/ the Lakers was to get Russ the respect he deserves

"I told him...'Believe in me, bro. I'm gonna put you in a position to succeed...But you have to put the group first. It cant be about Me or I or Mine. Its gotta be Us, Ours, We."
(Q: @kylegoon) pic.twitter.com/djarwtUrna

— michael corvo (@michaelcorvo_) October 31, 2022

Moving Westbrook to the bench doesn't solve all of Los Angeles' problems. The team's roster still lacks outside shooters, which is a key reason it ranks last in offensive efficiency, and depth will be a problem whenever James or Davis miss time.

Yet, Sunday's win over a Nuggets squad looking to emerge as a championship contender was a much-needed step in the right direction for the Lakers.

They'll look to start building a winning streak Wednesday when they host Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans.

Many believed that star point guard Russell Westbrook isn't a good fit for the Los Angeles Lakers, but it appears the team has figured out a role for him that can lead to success following its first win of the season on Sunday.

In his second game coming off the bench this season, Westbrook put forth his best effort and finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in 31 minutes of action as the Lakers defeated the Denver Nuggets 121-110 at crypto.com Arena.

Los Angeles star forward LeBron James led the way with a game-high 26 points alongside eight assists and six rebounds, while Anthony Davis posted 23 points and 15 boards.

Westbrook's energy was a stark contrast to his first four appearances this year, in which he shot 30.9 percent from the field. On Sunday, he was aggressive but efficient, going 6-of-12 from the field and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. He also finished with a plus-minus of plus-18, the highest on the team.

NBA Twitter was excited to see Westbrook playing with the joy we've grown accustomed to seeing from him:

Man im happy for Russ…..best I’ve seen him play in quite awhile….good to see him smile

— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) October 31, 2022

https://twitter.com/BenStinar/status/1586920933570355200

I’m loving Russ in this new role. It’s only 2 gms, but he’s embraced it and looks good 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) October 31, 2022

Lakers Big 3 came up BIG for the W vs. Denver 🙌

LeBron James: 26 PTS, 6 REB, 8 AST
Anthony Davis: 23 PTS, 15 REB
Russell Westbrook: 18 PTS, 8 REB, 8 AST pic.twitter.com/0wvXbiYzUd

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 31, 2022

https://twitter.com/hmfaigen/status/1586927983369064455

Lakers 93, Nuggets 85. And the energy in this building is thanks so much to Russell Westbrook, who has infused his lineups with a ton of confidence.

— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) October 31, 2022

Russell Westbrook has the home crowd bouncing. Just kicked out to Austin Reaves who drove in for the and-one. Russ and Reaves flexed at each other, getting the whole building to stand up. Now they're chanting, "LET'S GO LAKERS". https://t.co/WE03GvbOtT

— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) October 31, 2022

It's almost like when you put Russell Westbrook in comfortable position .. he succeeds .. basketball is about fit

— Ben Stinar (@BenStinar) October 31, 2022

Best game of the season for Russell Westbrook by leaps and bounds. He’s been a game changer tonight

— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) October 31, 2022

Where the haters at? Russell Westbrook still is ELITE. pic.twitter.com/JPEuNYHgoP

— Beastbrook (@Beastbr00k0) October 31, 2022

Russell Westbrook playing great in the Lakers first win 🥹

— TF (@ThunderFocus) October 31, 2022

Russell Westbrook has been the best player on the floor tonight

Both teams

— 🏆LakersGuru🏆 (@GuruLakers) October 31, 2022

Westbrook's brief tenure in Los Angeles has been somewhat polarizing because of the team's struggles, but Sunday was an indication that he can be an effective member of the rotation. While he had been the subject of trade speculation, there appears to be a winning formula if the Lakers choose to hold onto him for the year.

Los Angeles will look to keep the momentum going when they return to action on Wednesday against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Paul Pierce has a plan to fix the NBA's two biggest disasters: Trade Anthony Davis for Kevin Durant.

The Hall of Famer tweeted his blockbuster idea Sunday afternoon:

What’s going on with the Brooklyn Nets . I think it’s time to start the AD for KD rumors right now 🤷🏾‍♂️

— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) October 30, 2022

Of course, this is one of those trades that only happens in 2K Franchise Mode and has no actual shot of happening. Neither Davis nor Durant is the problem with their respective teams; the issues are glaring for both organizations and lie elsewhere on the roster.

The Lakers have a $47 million Russell Westbrook albatross and one of the weakest supporting casts in the NBA behind Davis and LeBron James. The Nets employ a constant distraction in Kyrie Irving, have gotten nothing from Ben Simmons, and they have a roster seemingly incapable or unwilling to put forth any defensive effort.

A KD-for-AD trade does little more than shuffle the deck chairs on both rosters.

That said, it is fun to speculate about. The NBA's two gravest disappointments come together in a fit of desperation to jettison a pair of superstars? Sign us up for the social media mess that would ensue.

Memphis Grizzlies wing Danny Green offered his commentary about how the Los Angeles Lakers have built their team around superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, noting that "it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out" what's needed to best construct the roster.

Green made the comments to Howard Beck on Sports Illustrated's "The Crossover" podcast (h/t Sabreena Merchant of Silver Screen & Roll):

“We know what happened. I think it’s interesting, I mean all the teams that I've played for, you try to see what kind of moves they make, what direction they're going in, and especially if you win a championship there, it's home, you have some type of invested feeling toward that city, toward that group, toward some of the players that are still there, the organization. I mean we know what happened, things have changed, they have Dennis back now for cheaper, I thought he was a good fit for them. I thought there was a lot of good pieces that were good fits for them that they let go or traded away and they thought they had a better fit. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what you need around LeBron and AD.”

In three years, the Lakers have gone from 2020 NBA champions to owning the league's worst win-loss record at 0-5. L.A. has gotten worse each season, falling in the first round of the 2021 playoffs before failing to make the 2022 postseason entirely after a 33-49 season.

Now the Lakers are last in both offensive rating and points per game. They are also last with a 41.6 percent field-goal rate and a 23.7 three-point percentage and third-last with 16.2 turnovers a game.

Rob Pelinka has been the team's general manager since 2017. His third year resulted in a long-awaited championship, the team's first since 2010 and 17th overall.

That 2019-20 squad, which featured Green in the starting lineup, was a deeper squad with far better shooting around James and Davis. They still weren't great (21st overall, 34.9 percent), but it was good enough thanks to a great defense and excellent performances from the top-two stars. They could rely on others in the rotation to knock down shots, handle the ball, crash the boards, play tough defense, etc.

In the shooting realm, Green played a part in that endeavor, as did Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and others.

Three-point buckets have been hard to come by for this year's team, which is completely different from the title-winning squad outside James and Davis. Only one of the eight players who have shot 10 or more threes this year is making more than 24.4 percent of their shots, with Lonnie Walker IV, Patrick Beverley and Russell Westbrook all shooting in the teens.

The season is just five games old, and the Lakers have plenty of time to improve, but early returns are concerning and emblematic of far deeper problems.

The LeBron James-led Los Angeles Lakers are officially the NBA's only winless team following the Sacramento Kings' 119-113 win over the Miami Heat on Saturday.

L.A. is 0-5 on the season following a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, while Sacramento is now 1-4.

It marks the second time in Lakers' history that they have been the NBA's last remaining winless team, per ESPN Stats & Info. The last time this occurred was 1957-58 when there were just eight teams in the league.

In addition to Friday's loss against Minnesota, the Purple and Gold have also lost to the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets.

The Lakers have one of the most poorly constructed rosters in the NBA, and the team's demise began with the blockbuster trade for Russell Westbrook ahead of the 2021-22 campaign.

L.A. parted ways with Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the Westbrook deal. In addition, the franchise failed to re-sign Alex Caruso ahead of the 2021-22 campaign, and he went on to sign with the Chicago Bulls.

Since then, the Lakers have had to fill out their roster with players on lower-scale deals, including Dennis Schröder, Patrick Beverley, Lonnie Walker IV, Damian Jones and Thomas Bryant.

The addition of Westbrook was supposed to help the Lakers contend for another title. However, he has not lived up to expectations in L.A, and his $47 million contract has made it so that the Purple and Gold can't trade him for assets that could help the team without attaching future first-round draft picks.

Westbrook has started three of four games for the Lakers this season, but he will likely continue to play off the bench for Darvin Ham's squad after doing so against Minnesota on Friday.

The 33-year-old has struggled mightily this season, averaging 12.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists while shooting 30.9 percent from the floor and just 12.5 percent from deep.

While Westbrook has shouldered much of the blame for L.A.'s struggles this season, its 0-5 start extends far beyond the control of a single player.

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James reacted Saturday to a reported surge in hate speech on Twitter since Elon Musk's acquisition of the platform Thursday.

James responded to a report from Drew Harwell, Taylor Lorenz and Cat Zakrzewski of the Washington Post, which detailed findings from a research group known as the Network Contagion Research Institute. The NCRI said use of the N-word on Twitter increased by nearly 500 percent in the 12 hours after Musk took over.

LeBron tweeted the following, calling for Musk and Twitter to take the information seriously:

I dont know Elon Musk and, tbh, I could care less who owns twitter. But I will say that if this is true, I hope he and his people take this very seriously because this is scary AF. So many damn unfit people saying hate speech is free speech. https://t.co/Sy0jvXIBnC

— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 29, 2022

CNN's Donie O'Sullivan and Clare Duffy reported Thursday that Musk had finalized a $44 billion deal to buy Twitter.

Musk, who is a 51-year-old native of South Africa and the CEO of both Tesla and SpaceX, has been outspoken about his support for free speech, which has left some Twitter users bracing for the return of notable banned accounts, such as that of former United States President Donald Trump, who was removed from the platform in 2021 "due to the risk of further incitement of violence" following the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.

It has also led to questions about whether accounts banned for racist rhetoric will be allowed back, or if accounts using racist language will be allowed to continue doing so.

In response to questions about the future of Twitter, Musk noted that a content moderation council will be created:

Twitter will be forming a content moderation council with widely diverse viewpoints.

No major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen before that council convenes.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2022

Musk also noted that no decisions regarding the potential reinstatement of accounts have been made, nor have any changes been made to the platform's content moderation policy.

James is regarded as one of the greatest athletes of all time and has 52.3 million followers on Twitter, making him one of the platform's most influential users.

Regardless of Musk's plans for Twitter, he will undoubtedly be made aware of LeBron's concerns in the wake of his takeover.