Now that the Los Angeles Lakers are watching the rest of the playoffs from home, they'll have plenty of time to ponder offseason targets, trades, and signings. Losing to the Denver Nuggets for the second straight year certainly put a dent in their roster confidence, and apparently, their head coaching, too, so it's safe to say that there are decisions to be made.
Los Angeles remains a premiere destination for NBA players, so the Lakers likely won't have any issues “enticing” players to join them, though, with only so many roster spots, there is certainly a holistic review in the cards over the next couple of weeks.
Players like Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt who have contracts through the next few seasons aren't the first ones Los Angeles will look to deal, and a player like Taurean Prince is someone it's likely to extend this summer. Names like that in the offseason trade mill are expected, though.
What about LeBron James?
James finished his 21st season still at the helm of a franchise looking to contend in the Western Conference. After declaring that he was passing the torch to Anthony Davis, it was clear that the Lakers couldn't win without him. Granted, they needed Davis as well, but this season for the Lakers was less of a “torch passing” and more of a “preparing for a torch passing.”
James has a player option with Los Angeles next season, and while that's certainly one of the biggest questions regarding the 20x All-Star, the other one trumping it is whether or not he'll even be playing next season. And if he does, will it be for the Lakers?
LeBron James' Lakers future
LeBron James is known for his cryptic tweets.
Most recently, he addressed his future with the NBA in a post shared on X, stating that he'd be consulting with his representatives and his family, which he says is what his life has been “all about.” Naturally, it leaves fans to wonder whether or not they'd already witnessed his last game in the league.
If he does decide to say, there are certainly pros to keeping him in Los Angeles. The Lakers' biggest need in the offseason is to figure out how to beat the Denver Nuggets, so if James returns, it'd likely be at the top of his list; but also a prime reason why he did come back. He's already earned the scoring title and a legacy beyond comprehension, but who wouldn't want to make one more run at a championship?
That's the case for keeping James. The Lakers weren't a bad team by any means, though they do need more consistency. The alternative, however, is sending him off either by trade or letting him walk as a negated-player-option free agent. Other teams would certainly want to bring in “The King,” especially if it meant getting to be the vessel for James to make history alongside his son, so there are likely to be ample offers for Los Angeles to explore should James decide to move elsewhere.
In a trade — which James would likely play a large role in — the Lakers could get back strong pieces to aid their mini-rebuild that would ensue upon James' departure, though that's certainly not their preference.
Either way, moving James from Los Angeles would be a hassle. It'd shake up the league, no doubt, but also the Lakers and their vision. James has won a championship with them in the past, and the sentiment is certainly that he could do it again, but there is work to be done.
Trade or not, James is going to be atop the Lakers' priority this offseason as he ponders his future.
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