LeBron James will become the first to play 23 seasons in the NBA this year. Even though James has opted into his $52.6M player option to be with the Lakers, rumors of them moving him away still swirl around.
The four-time NBA MVP has already admitted he would leave the sport sooner rather than later. However, he has not provided an exact timeline. James’ presence in the Lakers is a double-edged sword for the team, which sees its future in Luka Dončić.
NBA Insider Says LeBron James Delaying Retirement Hurts Lakers
Unlike many NBA stars, James has not slowed down significantly despite his advanced age. Many believe that one of the primary reasons he played into his 40th birthday was to play with his oldest son, Bronny. That happened last season, although many questioned how Bronny got a place on the team.
With one of his dreams coming true, James is set on winning one more NBA title before calling it quits. His agent, Rich Paul, had made it clear when James opted to play for the Lakers this season.
According to NBA insider Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Lakers’ current situation is unsuitable for their future. He shared why it is so during his recent appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show.”
“The Lakers, as I reported the other day, did not discuss any contract situation with LeBron that went beyond this season. That is the action that speaks volumes about how they see him right now. Their ideal scenario was going to be that he announced his retirement and allowed them to celebrate him for the entire year. That would have been the cleanest, easiest way for this relationship to come to an end,” Amick said.
Many had expected James to retire after he played with his son as teammates. However, the arrival of Dončić to the Lakers in a shocking trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Mavericks seemed to have renewed hope for James.
“His desire to continue playing, which is obviously his right, will potentially be problematic, where they just have to reach a point where, you know, they can’t continue doling out $50-plus million in that kind of way to him. So that’s where I think he’s looking at everything, monitoring, and we’ll see where it goes. But it does feel a little crunchy and dicey at the moment,” Amick added.
Dorian Finney-Smith’s departure to the Houston Rockets, with whom he agreed to a four-year $53M contract, was seen as a move that could make James leave the Lakers. However, the Lakers recently agreed to terms with DeAndre Ayton, which somewhat alleviated their major deficiency of not having a proper big man. Ayton signed a two-year, $16.6 million contract with the Lakers after a buyout from Portland.
Still, they are far from a legitimate contender in the stacked Western Conference. In addition to the Denver Nuggets and the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Rockets have emerged as a big threat, having enlisted the services of Kevin Durant.
The question now is what the Lakers will do. The new ownership, under Mark Walter, prioritized winning, both in the present and future. Will they sacrifice the future for James to have a potential fifth championship ring? Or will they prioritize building a team around Dončić that could play for years? The answer will reveal itself in this offseason.
