The Los Angeles Lakers’ offseason is particularly interesting, especially regarding LeBron James. James opted into the final year of his contract, but he could now be viewed as trade bait. This is the first time in his career that he is entering the final year of a contract. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst believes this shift stems from how the Lakers currently view LeBron.
“My conversations over the last 3 days have crystallized that the Lakers are essentially viewing LeBron as an expiring contract... I'm just unlocking the door because I am not as convinced as before if it's impossibility,” Windhorst said.
The situation first drew attention on Monday when Windhorst described it as odd. It seemed the Lakers and James weren’t as close as they have been in previous years.
“They haven't put out a statement. It's not a rule that you put out a statement when a player picks up an option but it is customary, and the Lakers did not do that," Windhorst said. "I had to actually check with the team and the league. I said, 'Did LeBron actually opt in?' And they said, 'Yes, the paperwork went through. He opted into his contract. Last year when LeBron signed a contract extension, Rob Pelinka had about a 115-word quote talking about how wonderful LeBron James is and what he means to the Lakers and what he means to their franchise. Yesterday there was no statement."
One possible reason for this divide is the Lakers’ future plans with Luka Doncic. John Gambadoro made it clear that both James and Austin Reaves don’t enjoy playing alongside Doncic.
“LeBron does not like playing with Luka. Reaves does not like playing with Luka… This is Luka’s team now,” Gambadoro said.
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This could very well be the underlying cause. It’s surprising to think about, but all three are ball-dominant players. For the first time in James’ career, he isn’t as close with the Lakers’ core. Additionally, Reaves just declined a contract extension, suggesting Doncic may be a significant factor in this shift.