The rumors surrounding LeBron James’ future with the Los Angeles Lakers have started to run rampant. James, arguably the greatest player of all time, would be wanted around the league, but possibly only if he gets released, which wouldnât make sense. It’s tough to find the perfect scenario for James and the Lakers. If the team decides to move on from him, it isn’t exactly like there will be many teams knocking down their door for a 40-year-old in a trade.
But the rumors are hot, and after James had his agent, Rich Paul, make some comments, it makes sense why these rumors are where they are.
âLeBron knows the Lakers are building for the future, and he also wants to compete for championships,â Paul told The Athletic and ESPN. âWe understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate whatâs 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 whatâs best for him. We are very appreciative of the partnership that weâve had for eight years with Jeanie (Buss) and Rob (Pelinka) and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.â
Comments From Bronny
If there’s one person who likely understands what’s going on with James outside of himself, it’s his son, Bronny James, who is also a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. When speaking about the situation, he was non-committal about the rumors, adding that he doesn’t really pay attention to them. This doesn’t mean that James has asked off the Lakers, but it’s a bit telling that he didn’t have much else to say.
âThereâs a lot of stuff going around that I donât really pay attention to,â said Bronny, per the NY Post.
Could the Lakers Extend LeBron?
All of this comes after it was reported that the Los Angeles Lakers and James didn’t discuss any years added to his contract. It remains uncertain how much longer James plans to play, but from the Lakers’ standpoint, they need to be asking him what he wants.Â
They clearly still have an opportunity to win a championship with Luka Doncic and James on the roster, but that’s only if they make the correct moves around them.Â
âTeam sources say James and the Lakers did not discuss deals that would have added years to his Lakers tenure that began in 2018, either by way of extension or with him opting out and signing a new deal. Conversely, James and his camp signaled months ago that there would be no discounts offered this time around (the Lakers, team sources say, didnât propose any sort of discounted deal out of respect for James).â
According to Dave McMenamin, Paul stated that he and the Lakers haven’t had any discussions about a trade. However, he noted that four teams have contacted him recently, a telling sign about what could come over the next few months.
âHe told me that he has not had any discussion with the Lakers about wanting a tradeâ¦,â McMenamin said Monday night. âHe did say that four teams have contacted him in the last 24 hours wanting to talk trades, but Rich didnât have any substantive conversations with those teams, either.â
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