The Los Angeles Lakers‘ offseason will be marked by several pending issues that need to be addressed. Among these, the situation surrounding LeBron James‘ future with the franchise may be the most prominent one.
As things stand, LeBron James’ status as an unrestricted free agent allows him to decide where he wishes to go next. Given how this spells uncertainty for the Lakers, on a recent episode of “Get Up,” Lakers legend Magic Johnson attempted to offer some insight into James’ future with the Purple and Gold.
When asked by Stephen A. Smith whether the Lakers should retain James this summer, Johnson responded:
“I think both (Doncic and Reaves) are going to have to come together and say, ‘Hey, LeBron. I want you to come back to the Lakers. I want you.’ And then what’s the number? I think that’s going to be the key, how much money they pay him.”
The biggest obstacle in bringing the superstar back lies in his contract. At 41, James is beyond his best, though he remains immensely effective. While it can be argued that he remains deserving of a max contract, the Lakers’ pending negotiations with free agents like Austin Reaves may not give them enough flexibility to present such a lucrative offer to James.
Although it is imperative for James to take a pay cut to remain with the Lakers, it remains unlikely that the forward would be willing to do so. Thus, when factoring in the possibility of him moving to another team, such as the Cleveland Cavaliers, Johnson added:
“That’s not a bad place. They are set up to win, and when you put LeBron in that lineup, that’s a really good lineup with a chance to do something in the East.”
“But we don’t know what LeBron wants to do, and we don’t know what the Lakers want to do. Mark Walter is the new owner, and he has to make that decision, and they’ve got to make it soon,” he continued. “The draft is coming, free agency is coming, so it’s like, ‘Hey, LeBron, what do you want to do? Hey, Mark, what do you want?’ And they’ve got to make that, to me, before the draft and before free agency.”
The timeline to settle matters with LeBron James, at least from Johnson’s perspective, is quite short. Given that the NBA Draft is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, June 23rd, which is just over a week away, the Purple and Gold are certainly crunched for time.
Realistically, it is more likely for the Lakers to engage in further conversations with LeBron James once free agency begins, but given his inclination to sign a max contract, these attempts may prove futile. Thus, in light of their current situation, L.A. may see more value in going in a different direction.
Johnson shed light on this topic earlier in the segment when discussing the changes the Lakers needed to make in the offseason.
“The Lakers need to be younger, more athletic,” he stated. “Look at who they’re going to have to beat in the West. OKC, San Antonio – not going anywhere. So, the Lakers are going to have to get younger, more athletic, faster, and help Luka.”
Although Magic reiterated that he wasn’t aware of what roster moves L.A. had in store this offseason, he emphasized the importance of getting younger and faster to keep up with the top teams in the West. Needless to say, at this stage in his career, LeBron James doesn’t really fit this criterion.
It goes without saying that he remains impactful, having averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game in the regular season. His experience also proves vital at crucial points during the campaign. But given that he earned $52.6 million last year, the Lakers may not have the luxury of retaining him.
