Blazers-Lakers trade window may close with LeBron James' declining play

It was always going to be an uphill battle for LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. Even with the superstar pairing of James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers aren't in the same tier as the elite Western Conference teams such as the Oklahoma City Thunder or Dallas Mavericks. While James and Davis are capable of leading the Lakers to the playoffs in the tough West, their supporting cast lacks the talent for a deep run.

The expectation was that the Lakers could potentially be aggressive buyers by February's trade deadline, as they wanted to maximize James' window, who is now 39. Especially since LeBron looked like the best player on Team USA in their gold medal run and was still playing at such a high level. However, that may no longer be the case with his and, as a result, the Lakers' recent performances.

The Blazers and Lakers were ideal trade partners

The Portland Trail Blazers were recently mentioned among four other teams as possible sellers to watch at the trade deadline (subscription required) by Jake Fischer via The People's Insider. The Blazers were an ideal trade partner for the Lakers, with the two teams headed in opposite directions. Portland is a rebuilding team with veterans that they could flip for the Lakers' draft capital and salary fillers.

Blazers trade chatter has also been gaining steam elsewhere. Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype names several Blazers players as the NBA's top trade candidates, including Jerami Grant, Deandre Ayton, Robert Williams III, and Anfernee Simons (although Matisse Thybulle could also be included in that list). Further than just simply being buyers and sellers, the Lakers and Blazers made sense as partners because every player Scotto mentioned would fit seamlessly with the Lakers' roster.

Grant has thrived as a third star in the past (most notably in Denver) and would have played well as a lengthy, floor-spacing wing alongside James and Davis in the frontcourt. LeBron excels with shooters who can space the floor, and Simons would have complemented him as one of the best shooters in the league who can also take some of the playmaking burden off of the aging James as a combo guard.

The Lakers could also use a quality center to allow Davis to play more power forward, which is his natural position and where he feels the most comfortable. And any contending team can always use a former All-Defensive wing like Thybulle for depth and playoff matchups to help contain opposing superstars.

Cronin may have overvalued Grant and waited too long on a Lakers deal

Unfortunately, now the Blazers risk all that going out the window and potentially losing their most obvious trade partner. Blazers GM Joe Cronin has reportedly been firm in trade negotiations, specifically in his asking price for Grant of two first-round picks.

Scotto reports that this asking price has remained unchanged since the offseason and that there's a "difference in opinion" between how Cronin values Grant compared to the rest of the league, especially considering his hefty contract.

"Elsewhere in the frontcourt, forward Jerami Grant has drawn consistent trade interest since signing a five-year, $160 million contract, but there’s been a difference in opinion on his value. Portland has been unwilling to trade Grant without two first-round picks in return, while interested teams have only been willing to consider parting with one first-round pick. Some teams also view Grant’s contract as a neutral asset."

LeBron and the Lakers' struggles could make them reluctant to sacrifice future assets

The Lakers are still a respectable 12-9 but are trending in the wrong direction, losing five of their last seven games, most recently a 109-80 blowout loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Even more concerning is the play of James, who appears to be rapidly declining.

James deserves all the credit in the world; he's defied all odds by playing at a historically high level for over two decades. But Father Time is undefeated and could finally be catching up to arguably the greatest player of all time. In their loss to Minnesota, LeBron had just 10 points and six turnovers on 25 percent shooting from the field.

As LeBron has aged, his three-point shooting has gradually improved. Last season was a career-high for him in that department, connecting on 41 percent of his attempts. But that has uncharacteristically disappeared. His last three-pointer was on Nov. 26 in their 127-100 loss to the Suns (where he went two of seven from deep). Since then, James has missed 19 three-pointers in a row. He's six misses away from trying Grant Williams' record for most consecutive missed threes.

Despite being 39, James has earned the benefit of the doubt; this may be nothing more than a shooting slump he eventually breaks out of. But it's concerning nonetheless, especially since this Lakers roster isn't currently constructed to withstand James not performing at an All-Star level. And if they continue to lose, they will no longer feel the need to trade future assets to the Blazers.

Cronin should have lowered Grant's asking price with the Lakers when he had the chance, but it may be too late now.