LeBron James talks about parting ways with D'Angelo Russell as Lakers make 2 key additions

LeBron James turned 40 on Monday, but the LA Lakers had practice as they prepared for their Tuesday game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. James talked about the Lakers trading D'Angelo Russell and Maxwell Lewis to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.

Speaking to reporters, including The Athletic's Jovan Buha, in his first media availability since the deal went down, "The King" was asked to give his thoughts on the acquisition of Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton.

"Well, first of all, big shoutout to D-Lo and Max Lew," James said. "Obviously, brothers of ours, and we hate to see anyone leave in any point of the season."

LeBron James then praised the new acquisitions for what they bring to the table and help the LA Lakers. Dorian Finney-Smith provides shooting and defense, while Shake Milton is a decent backup point guard, who can score. Milton is also a solid defender for his position.

"Obviously, they bring experience," James said. "They're bringing toughness, and guys that played them big games and have mastered their roles throughout their career. I'm looking forward to them getting into our system. Immediate impact whenever their number gets called."

Finney-Smith played his best seasons with the Dallas Mavericks as a knockdown shooter who can also defend multiple positions. He could start for the Lakers or come off the bench to provide whatever is needed. He's not as good of a defender as Jarred Vanderbilt, but he's a better shooter.

On the other hand, Milton could come off the bench and be an instant microwave scorer. He can play alongside Gabe Vincent or even be a starter whenever JJ Redick decides to give guys such as LeBron, Anthony Davis, Max Christie, Rui Hachimura or Austin Reaves some rest.

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LeBron James opens up about turning 40

LeBron James opens up about turning 40. (Photo: IMAGN)

There's only a handful of players who continued their careers after turning 40 years old. LeBron James joined the exclusive club on Monday and was asked by the media about his plans. James acknowledged that if he wanted to, he could play for several more seasons.

"To be honest, if I really wanted to, I could probably play this game at a high level probably for about another, it's weird that I might say this, but probably about another five to seven years, if I wanted to," James said, according to Yahoo! Sports. "But I'm not going to do that."

If James goes back on his word, he has a chance to break another record held by Nat Hickey. He's the oldest player to suit up in an NBA game at 45 years and 363 days way back on Jan. 28, 1948, with the Providence Steamrollers.