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The Los Angeles Lakers’ disappointing season reached an air of finality with their inability to make the postseason. Such a season comes with plenty of blame- and a hefty share of it was allocated to former head coach Frank Vogel, who was officially fired on Monday. However, some of the blame must also rest with the man who constructed the roster, general manager Rob Pelinka, and the team’s best player, LeBron James. These disappointing seasons are also accompanied with plenty of change. One big question that has loomed around the Lakers is the future of James, who at the age of 37, may not have too many seasons left playing at an elite level. Will he remain with the Lakers until the end of his career? Pelinka addressed James’ future with an honest comment, as reported by ClutchPoints’ Michael Corvo and NBA reporter Marc Stein.
Rob Pelinka says "every indication that we've received" is that LeBron James "sees this as long-term home."
James, 37, has one season left on his current Lakers contract and is eligible for a two-year extension in the $100 million range in August.
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— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) April 11, 2022
Pelinka said every season of LeBron's career is a "precious commodity" and the Lakers "have to do all we can to be caretakers of his legacy…Obviously, this roster did not work."
"There's a great level of trust in our collaboration with him."
— Michael Corvo (@michaelcorvoNBA) April 11, 2022
Pelinka said that he’s received “every indication” that James views the Lakers as a long-term destination for him. Not only that, but the general manager went on to say that Los Angeles has a responsibility to treat every season of the superstar’s as a “precious commodity.”
Pelinka acknowledged the Lakers’ roster simply wasn’t good enough, while making it seem like James remains an active voice in discussions about improving the depth chart.
It sounds like James isn’t going anywhere, though it also sounds like this Lakers roster could undergo massive changes this offseason.
It will be interesting to see what happens in Los Angeles this offseason.