To paraphrase a lyric from a famous song by the legendary punk rock group The Clash, the biggest question concerning the Los Angeles Lakers is, should LeBron James stay, or should he go? The answer will, to a large extent, dictate the direction in which the Lakers will head.
If he leaves, they will have substantially more salary cap space available, but they will have to replace his ball-handling, facilitating, pace creation, scoring and rebounding. If he stays, they will have to balance paying him enough money and leaving enough cap flexibility to address their weaknesses.
There are some signs that, at the very least, both sides want to stick together. According to a recent report in The Athletic, James and the Lakers are interested in continuing their partnership. An ESPN article by Dave McMenamin indicated that James has a “great” relationship with coach JJ Redick and that the ball may be in the Lakers’ court to a certain extent when it comes to their chances of keeping the four-time MVP.
He will almost certainly have to take a sizable pay cut due to the realities of the NBA’s hard salary cap, and the question could be how much he demands and how much the Lakers will offer him.
“A source familiar with James’ thinking told ESPN that the Lakers’ approach in how they show their interest in retaining him will be a factor, beyond the simple dollar amount,” McMenamin wrote.
“‘The Lakers can’t just offer James a number. They have to offer a why behind that number,’ an agent who does not rep James but has had clients on L.A.’s roster during James’ tenure, told ESPN. ‘Their plan for any discount would have to be coherent.'”
But perhaps the best sign for the Lakers is what one source recently told ESPN.
“As one source close to James, who attended Game 4 against the Thunder on Monday, told ESPN, ‘I think it’s up to the Lakers. He loves it in L.A.'”
Since coming to the Lakers in 2018, James has established roots in Southern California. He has gotten involved in the movie industry, and, of course, his son Bronny plays alongside him on the Lakers. His other son, Bryce, is at the University of Arizona, and should Bryce James remain there, he will be a short plane ride away from his father, should his father remain with the Purple and Gold.
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors are thought to be the only other teams LeBron James could seriously consider playing for next season. But, in all likelihood, the most either team would be able to offer him is the mid-level exception. The Lakers, on the other hand, could have roughly $50 million in salary cap space.
There is also the possibility of him retiring this offseason, but most people around the league seem to think that is extremely unlikely as of now.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Source close to LeBron James: ‘He loves it in L.A.’
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
