The Los Angeles Lakers missed out on veteran center Brook Lopez because of LeBron James, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Ramona Shelburne report.
The statement issued by James’ agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, after the Lakers star picked up his $52.6 million player option steered Lopez away from the Lakers and into their crosstown rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers.
“Free agent center Brook Lopez, who league sources said had strongly considered the Lakers and the potential starting role, grew wary of the uncertainty around James’ future with the team and opted to sign with the rival LA Clippers, where he will be a backup,” Windhorst and Shelburne wrote on Friday, July 11.
Lopez was linked to a reunion with the Lakers heading into the trade deadline.
On June 28, NBA insider Jake Fischer reported on “The Stein Line” that “Numerous rival teams are bracing for the center-craving Los Angeles Lakers to make a run at luring Lopez away from the Bucks.”
Rich Paul’s Cryptic Statement
Getty LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers talks with Rich Paul during a stop in play at Madison Square Garden.
On June 29, Paul came out with a cryptic statement to ESPN that hints at disalignment between James and the Lakers.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Paul told ESPN. “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.
James will be 41 next season.
“We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. 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.”
Preparing for Post-LeBron Era
With James’ future in Los Angeles in limbo, Lopez decided to join the Clippers on a two-year, $18 million deal to serve as Ivica Zubac‘s backup.
Meanwhile, James’ veiled threat to the Lakers did not work.
The Lakers stuck to their plan of offering short deals in what ESPN’s Dave McMenamin described as a plan to create as much cap room to add another max player next to Luka Doncic in what is expected to be a post-LeBron era in 2027. They only offered a two-year deal to Dorian Finney-Smith, who bolted the Lakers to sign with the Houston Rockets for a four-year, $53 million contract.
The Lakers pivoted from the tried and tested veteran Finney-Smith to unproven yet promising 3-and-D wing Jake LaRavia. The 23-year-old wing signed a two-year, $12 million deal, which is a bargain compared to what Finney-Smith received from the Rockets.
Lopez spurning the Lakers turned out to be a blessing in disguise as they got a younger, more athletic center to address their biggest weakness.
Former No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton, who was a surprise addition to the free agent market after seeking a buyout from the Portland Trail Blazers, signed with the Lakers for the same deal Lopez got from the Clippers.
Ayton and Doncic are both under Bill Duffy, the head of the basketball division of WME Sports, which is another clear signal of the shift of power within the Lakers organization.
Crack in LeBron-Lakers Relationship
Whether the Lakers’ moves are enough for James to consider the Lakers as a championship contender is still to be determined.
But according to Lakers beat reporter Jovan Buha, James’ relationship with the franchise that he led to the 2020 NBA championship is not in the best place.
“I want to be careful with what I say about Bron’s relationship with the front office or the organization, but I don’t think it’s in the best place right now, to be completely honest,” Buha said on his podcast, “Buha’s Block” on July 7. “As you know, there’s been no official statement about LeBron opting in. There typically is, especially for a player of that magnitude. And then he’s had his stuff on social media or whatever he’s posted, and there was obviously the statement when he opted in. So, I don’t think things are in the best place they’ve ever been. I’ll just say that. Make of that what you want.”
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