The last year has seen LeBron James featured in several rumors. From the trade rumors in the offseason to reports of his fallout with Jeanie Buss, everything has essentially suggested his time with the Los Angeles Lakers is coming to an end.
While LeBron James has expressed a desire to remain, his responses haven’t been very convincing. On that note, NBA Insider Jake Fischer recently hinted at something more conclusive. During his livestream for Bleacher Report, Fischer revealed:
“If you’re a Lakers fan, you’ve really got to start to think about and reposition your expectations for this season; expectations about improvements for this team not coming now, but in June. Definitively, the Lakers are ready to move on from LeBron James, and LeBron James is ready to move on from the Lakers as well.”
“That is kind of the foregone sentiment in Los Angeles right now about what’s to come this summer,” he continued. “They are going to be retaining Austin Reaves by all accounts. That’s kind of the plan from both the players’ side and the team, and then they’re going to look to add upside young pieces fitting Luka and Austin’s timetable on the perimeter. Hopefully shore up their frontcourt in addition to Deandre Ayton, who will only have one year left beyond next season’s contract.”
Fischer noted that the Lakers would be interested in signing players like Bennedict Mathurin and Peyton Watson, both of whom have shown tremendous growth this season and will hit the free agency market this summer.
While this could be a promising approach for the Purple and Gold, who would effectively be building around a young core, the timeline may not be in LeBron James’ favor.
Should The Lakers Move On From LeBron James?
LeBron James has had an interesting tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers. After failing to make an appearance in the playoffs in his first season, James followed up by bringing a title to the city in his second. Since then, the Purple and Gold have skirted around the edges of being a solid playoff team, but never necessarily a contender.
Despite Luka Doncic‘s arrival last season, L.A.’s title window looked small, especially when considering James’ age. Even with his reputation as an elite playoff performer, at 40 years old, James wasn’t the same player.
Although the Lakers were poised to make a title push earlier this season, James’ distinctive drop-off in production suggested that it may be the end of the road. With the superstar having notably poor nights on the offensive end and repeatedly displaying poor defensive effort, the Lakers are often left in a vulnerable position.
At 41, James’ future in the NBA itself is in doubt. In accordance with Fischer’s report, L.A.’s approach to the trade deadline may be quite conservative, suggesting that the team may not commit to winning this season. With the player and the franchise taking two different approaches, parting ways may be the most amicable resolution.
