LeBron James is the man in LA. While the 2019 trade for Anthony Davis was executed with the hope that AD can start taking over the duties that LeBron has been carrying for over a decade on different teams. However, Davis’s inconsistency and jumbled roster building has made the load on LeBron even more significant than it used to be.
Despite entering his 20th season in the league, LeBron is still the primary target for the Lakers in terms of ensuring he extends his contract with the team. This is not a decision based on LeBron’s mass appeal but a pure basketball decision, which is worrying.
A franchise can’t put its eggs in the basket of a 37-year-old. It’s a worrying sign for the player as well, which explains why LeBron hasn’t rushed to sign a contract extension with the Lakers. LeBron’s contract is up at the end of next season, but LBJ has refused to engage in extension talks until he sees what the team builds this off-season.
Report: LeBron James not expected to commit to Lakers before draft, free agency https://t.co/ASWOPU2gD8
— Kurt Helin (@basketballtalk) June 13, 2022
LeBron is known to leave organizations after a certain period of time. Leaving the Lakers at the end of next season if they cannot compete won’t be a surprise, as that is what LeBron has done in the past.
The issue will be that the Lakers have given away a lot of long-term assets to make sure LeBron is happy with the team around him. They have already given up picks till 2026, so the future asset pool is thin and it could cripple the Lakers if LeBron leaves the team.
James is in a position where he has to do what is best for himself. He could legitimately sign a minimum contract on a competing team and easily put them over the top. He also does want to eventually play with Bronny, which is another reason why LBJ will look to eventually leave the Lakers. Whether it is in 2023 is something we will see after the off-season.
