While Darvin Ham‘s future – or lack thereof – with the Lakers figures to be a hot topic this week, what happens this offseason with LeBron James figures to have the more significant impact on the franchise in 2024/25 and beyond.
James is considered likely to play for a couple more seasons, one source briefed on his thinking tells Shams Charania, Jovan Buha, and Sam Amick of The Athletic, so retirement is extremely unlikely. He’ll have a decision to make on a ’24/25 player option worth more than $51MM and both routes – opting in or out – remain on the table, per The Athletic’s reporters, who say the four-time MVP would like to get a sense of how the Lakers’ offseason is playing out before finalizing a decision by the June 29 deadline.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin hears that team officials didn’t have any real sense, as of last week, of what James will do with his contract, but both he and The Athletic’s trio agree that the Lakers want to bring back the star forward. LeBron’s relationship with Lakers ownership is “better than ever,” according to Charania, Buha, and Amick, and the front office would be open to discussing any contract scenario, including the maximum three-year, $164MM deal it can offer, team sources tell The Athletic.
“He’s not the problem here,” a high-ranking team official told The Athletic.
What did James have to say after Monday’s season-ending loss when asked about his contract situation? Not a whole lot, as McMenamin relays.
“I don’t have an answer … to be honest,” James said. “I haven’t given it much thought. … We’ll cross that when we need to.”
Asked if Monday’s loss might have been his last game as a Laker, LeBron replied, “I’m not going to answer that.”
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- Team sources tell Charania, Buha, and Amick that the Lakers are “very open” to the idea of potentially drafting Bronny James to help LeBron fulfill his dream of playing with his son. The Lakers currently hold the No. 55 pick in the 2024 draft — they’ll also have No. 17 if the Pelicans opt to defer the L.A. pick they’re owed until next season.
- The Lakers are expected to be aggressive in the trade market this offseason, per Charania, Buha, and Amick, who reiterate that Hawks guard Trae Young is viewed one of the team’s “many” potential targets. Young’s backcourt mate Dejounte Murray will also be discussed, says Dan Woike of The Los Angles Times.
- As Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer notes, the Lakers will be able to trade up to three first-round picks this summer and have some appealing contracts that they could include in a deal, but there are other teams with larger collections of first-round picks who could potentially outbid L.A. for a star. League sources expect the Jazz and Pelicans to be among those who will be aggressive in trade talks, O’Connor adds.
- Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt, who had been sidelined since February 1 due to a right foot injury, was available to play in Game 5 on Monday, but he didn’t see any action, writes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Like teammate Christian Wood, who was available for Games 4 and 5 but didn’t play, Vanderbilt should enter the offseason relatively healthy.
- Speaking on Monday to reporters, including Price (Twitter link), D’Angelo Russell said he hasn’t made a decision yet on his $18.7MM player option for 2024/25, but acknowledged that he has some leverage and indicated he plans to take advantage of it. Despite the Lakers’ disappointing early exit, Russell was proud of his season on a personal level, per McMenamin. “Hell of a year by D’Angelo. Humbly saying that,” he said. “Through the ups and downs, through all the whatever you want to call it, it never bothered me. I always kept myself sane.”
- After joining the Lakers on the buyout market in the second half of the season, L.A. native Spencer Dinwiddie said on Monday that he’d love to return if the team is interested in re-signing him (Twitter link via Buha).
- Elsewhere on the Lakers front, ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link) previews the team’s offseason decisions, Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times argues that the club needs to do whatever it takes to bring back James, and Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times describes the Lakers as a mediocre team with no clear path back to contender status.
Time to trade Bron is now. LeBron can’t get this team a higher seed at this point of his career. Play in team at best. This isn’t the weak eastern conference Bron can cruise through regardless of seeding when he was younger. Nuggets, Wolves, Thunder, Mavs are only going to get better. That’s the lakers next three first round match ups. Clearly twenty plus free throws wont be enough. Would need injuries for the opposition to win. Back to Cleveland for Mitchell gives them way more flexibility to round out the roster.
1. LeBron can OPT OUT and leave if he wants
2. You aren’t getting anything close to equal trade value for a 40-year old All-Star on a 1-year deal. I mean I guess if you think Jordan Poole is the answer
True and Mitchell can walk for nothing, as if he’s staying in Cleveland. Draft his son and LBJ isn’t going anywhere.
What exactly do the Lakers have to offer Atlanta for Young? Other than AD, who won’t make sense for Atlanta, the Lakers don’t have much to trade.
Young isn’t the answer. Asking a bit much of Bron and AD defensively but I agree. Most the trade proposals you hear in the media are crazy one sided in favour of L.A.
A deal for a Dejounte is more possible for the lakers but we’ll see.
Rockets target Zion, Ingram and Mitchell in February, which means stars are available
Lakers get Young
Hawks get Zion
Pelicans get Vincent, Dlo (sign and trade?), 3 Firsts from Lakers
Why Pelicans do it?
The next big thing is Lakers 2031 first round pick
My best idea would be
Lakers find a way to get Caruso and OG
Breaking News – trade, trade
Pelicans VP David Griffin pledges roster changes
Griffin does intend to improve New Orleans’ roster through trades, such an avenue could involve a deal sending out Brandon Ingram, who is entering the final year of his contract in 2024-25.
In the team’s first Play-In Tournament game, star Zion Williamson was injured with three minutes left to play against the Los Angeles Lakers.
none, bleacher report is putting together these mock trades.
“Hell of a year by D’Angelo. Humbly saying that,” he said.”
D’Angelo. says that I always kept myself sane.
Russell (DLo) is sane.
Russell (Westbrook) is insane. – why not suspend him?
he hasn’t quite earned the prestige to refer to himself in the 3rd person.
Luke, you’re damn right the “LeBron James Decision Part IV” will “have the more significant impact on the franchise” moving forward because any team that chooses to draft Bronny is essentially letting its fan base know it has NO intentions of competing for a championship and would rather become the league’s unofficial circus act for how ever long father and/or son remain on the roster. You thought the LeBron sideshows and favoritism to certain teammates over others had reached its pinnacle?? You ain’t seen NUTHIN yet!! “He’s not the problem here”, a high ranking team official told The Athletic?? Let’s see….he’s been the main focal point – the guy who touches the ball the most on offense – for six seasons now in LA. In that span, they have one summer league bubble tournament title to show for it. There was no basketball from most of March 2020 all the way until July of that year – that’s almost as long of a break between the end of a customary regular season and the following training camp!! Jerry Buss has gotta be punching the walls of his tomb right about now!! This guy, Brawny Sensation, IS the main problem! All the players you liked so much and decided to bring back during the 2023 offseason CANNOT fully develop their respective games and prove their self worth until they are free from the reigns of Brawny, Pelinka!! Why can’t you see that?! Quit worrying about filling trend-crazed butts in the Cryto seats, Jeanie, and take back the franchise that Brawny hijacked from you and the Buss family!! Laker fans….you gotta be KIDDING ME if you’re drooling over the thought of BS and his son Bronny running roughshod over your once proud franchise!!
i think it had more to do with them trading away their best defensive players from that championship.
Alex Caruso, KCP and someone else I’m forgetting were crucial to their defense and was it Pelinka who decided they didn’t need defense?
also who are we kidding? if it’s not OKC vs DEN in WCF then something happened. LAL are not a “advance beyond the 1st rd” with the talent they have.
Lakers should just rebuild. Trade all including Lebron and AD. Drafting Lebron’s son will ruin Lakers future.
It is time for the Lakers to rebuild. The biggest question though is will James either opt in or agree to re-sign and be traded to bring back necessary rebuilding assets? The Lakers coffers are threadbare enough that deal AD alone doesn’t move the needle. Bron and AD bring back the assets needed to really begin rebuilding.
I’m going to disagree for a couple of reasons…
First, and probably most importantly to Lakers ownership, you don’t “rebuild” in the LA market. You’re competing for entertainment dollars in a market where there are plenty of other options for people to spend their disposable income on. You can’t sell a handful of 50+ loss seasons in LA.
Second, I don’t think trading LeBron would bring back the type of haul people believe it would. The teams that would be interested would likely be teams that are on the cusp of being able to win a championship. And he would push them over the top, no question. Does it really benefit the Lakers that much to acquire, what, maybe two late firsts? You’d be trading LeBron to hopefully draft two contributing roleplayers there. Roleplayers are signable in free agency, the Lakers just haven’t chosen the correct ones.
Third, the Lakers coffers aren’t bare. They are not a bad team. I can’t say there isn’t a significant talent gap between them and Denver, but that is true for a lot of teams. Denver is really, really good. But you’re playing to just give yourself a chance, and you hope for a little luck.
The problem is never LeBron James, and yet I’m not sure that the team is any better than they would have been if they kept BI, Josh Hart, Zubac, Beasley, Mo Wagner, 3 firsts, etc. So even if he isn’t part of this year’s problem, he sure is part of their long term problem.