The Los Angeles Lakers‘ offseason has been dominated by the drama created by Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul’s controversial statement when LeBron James opted into his $52.6 million player option.
Pundits saw it as James wielding his leverage over the franchise that is moving into a new direction with a much younger star in Luka Doncic.
However, an anonymous Lakers front office executive pushed back on the notion that James holds full control of the situation even with his no-trade clause.
“Whenever you sign a player to a deal with an option, you willingly give them the control to initially guide the situation,” the Lakers front office executive told Keith Smith of Spotrac. “But this notion that a player option gives the player all of the power is pretty silly. If they opt out, the team is then a partner in re-signing them or not. If they opt in, then the team is a partner in whatever happens next, too.
“For LeBron, he had a player option and made his decision to opt in. We’re just happy that he’s still a Laker.”
No Imminent Trade or Buyout
On July 16, The Athletic reported, citing league and team sources, that the Lakers have received “no indication” of a forthcoming trade request or buyout talks from James or his representatives.
The Athletic story confirmed ESPN’s Dave McMenamin’s previous report from James’ camp.
“Paul also made it clear to me that LeBron has not asked for a trade, and Paul has not even discussed the possibility of wanting a trade in the future with the Lakers,” McMenamin said during the ESPN broadcast of the NBA Summer League game between the Lakers and the New Orleans Pelicans on July 12. “Paul did tell me that four teams contacted him with interest in trading for LeBron, though, so now we wait.”
LeBron’s Situation Has Potential to Explode on Lakers’ Face
While James will enter into the training camp as a Laker, the question still lingers about his future in Los Angeles.
Former Memphis Grizzlies executive John Hollinger, who is now a front office insider for The Athletic, warned that it’s still a volatile situation waiting to erupt if things go south in Los Angeles.
Hollinger still views the Dallas Mavericks, based on whispers he’s heard, as James’ potential next destination.
“Nonetheless, this situation bears watching from both sides, particularly if L.A. starts the regular season slowly. The Lakers set themselves up to have max cap room next summer once James’ salary comes off their books, taking advantage of an artificially low cap hold for Austin Reaves. If that’s their angle, wouldn’t it make sense to cash in their James stock if they aren’t challenging at the top of the West?” Hollinger wrote on July 21.
Rich Paul’s Statement Shows Crack in Relationship
Paul, James’ agent, issued a strong statement after his top client picked up his player option, signaling there is tension between them and the Lakers.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Paul told ESPN’s Shams Charania. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”
Paul also added that James will closely monitor the Lakers’ offseason.
“We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future,” Paul continued. “We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what’s best for him.”
The Lakers did add veteran players Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart to address their most pressing needs: center and point-of-attack defense.
Whether this is enough for James or not will be known when the training camp begins.
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