After opting into his $52.6 million player option, there was little to no doubt that LeBron James would return to Los Angeles for his eighth season with the franchise.
Once James’ agent Rich Paul spoke about wanting to make decisions that would benefit the 21-time All-Star during the latter stage of his career, though, James’ status with the Lakers became unclear.
One day after Los Angeles agreed to a historic seven-team trade that was finalized on Sunday, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst felt motivated to provide an update on James' future in Los Angeles.
“It's one of the biggest topics of conversation around the league,” Bontemps and Windhorst wrote Friday. “The concept of a trade is not impossible -- nothing is impossible in the NBA after the (Luka) Doncic trade -- but it is unlikely due to James' large salary and his no-trade clause.”
“There were a few inquiries from eyebrow-raised teams, sources said, just to gauge whether this was something or nothing. For now, there is no action. But it is surely being monitored.”
"The idea of buying out James' contract -- even if he gives back a chunk of money -- also doesn't make logical sense. “This isn't the situation the Milwaukee Bucks were in with Damian Lillard, a future Hall of Famer sitting out with a torn left Achilles.”
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“This is a player who was second-team All-NBA last season for the Western Conference's No. 3 seed, and with a less than 100% version of Doncic. What good would it do for the Lakers to simply let James walk?”
James’ 22nd NBA campaign didn’t end with a championship, but it was full of excitement.
At 40 years old, the average fan would believe that James had nothing left to offer a contending franchise.
However, James isn’t the typical aging NBA superstar. The dynamic 6-foot-9 forward understands the importance of maintaining a healthy balance between setting his teammates up for success and taking matters into his own hands on the hardwood.
James averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds per game, shooting 51.3% from the field and 37.6% from three-point land.
If James remains with Los Angeles and proves he can make his partnership with Doncic work (signing Deandre Ayton to a two-year deal will help with that), the Lakers shouldn’t experience another playoff letdown.
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