Lakers star LeBron James made it clear following Wednesday's loss to the Miami Heat that he doesn't want to continue playing losing basketball.

Those comments have led Lakers columnist Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times to write that the Purple and Gold should trade James instead of meeting his demands to upgrade the roster in a meaningful way, which almost surely would cost the franchise its 2027 and 2029 first-round draft picks.

Plaschke wrote:

The Lakers dropped to 14-21 with Wednesday's loss, and they sit 13th in the Western Conference as they continue to plummet in the standings in the absence of star center Anthony Davis.

After the game, James told reporters he doesn't want to finish his career "playing at this level from a team aspect." He added:

This is the second straight season the Lakers have underperformed. During the 2021-22 campaign, the Purple and Gold finished 11th in the Western Conference with a 33-49 record and missed the playoffs.

James, who will turn 38 on Friday, might feel like the Lakers are wasting what little time he has left in the NBA. The four-time MVP is looking to win his fifth NBA title, and that doesn't look like it's going to happen in L.A.

James, in his 20th NBA season, has played well, averaging 27.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.1 steals in 27 games while shooting 49.8 percent from the floor and 29.7 percent from deep.

However, the Lakers couldn't build a contending roster around James and Davis during the offseason because of their contracts and that of Russell Westbrook. So, the Purple and Gold was left with mediocre talent to fill out the remaining spots.

That being said, James isn't solely to blame for L.A.'s struggles. When the team had a solid roster in 2019-20, James delivered, helping lead the Lakers to their first NBA title since 2010.

If the Lakers were going to entertain the idea of trading James, it's unclear what the franchise would expect for him. Typically, a player of James' caliber would fetch a haul, but if he demands a trade, the franchise won't have much leverage.

Additionally, James is under contract through the 2024-25 campaign after agreeing to a two-year, $97.1 million extension with the Lakers in August. That contract would be a lot for many contending teams.