"LeBron Wants To Compete For A Championship. He Knows The Lakers Are Building For The Future" - After Picking Up His Player Option, The LeBron James Era In Los Angeles Could Be Coming To An End
David Berding. Getty Images.Today is player/team option day in the NBA, which means that by 5 PM EST if you're a player with a player or team option, your fate will be decided one way or another. Turning down this option doesn't always mean the player is leaving, and it's simply what has to be done for some to sign an extension to stay with their current team.
For others, the teams can get out of that money in order to use it on other areas, should they need it. Players like Kyrie and Fred VanVleet are examples of players turning down their options in order to sign an extension, and Jaylin Williams is an example of a team turning down his option (OKC), in order to extend him (3 years).
Other notable players who have an option this summer are James Harden (player), Julius Randle (player), Dorian Finney-Smith (player), Bobby Portis (player), Mo Wagner (team), Kelly Oubre Jr (player), etc. Not huge needle mover type players, but quality rotation guys.
Someone who entered the summer on that list, who I would consider a huge needly mover type of player, was LeBron James. For him, it wasn't so much a question as to if he would turn down his option to go to another team, but more would he pick up his option for this year to stay in LA, or maybe turn it down for another one of his patented 1+1 extensions. If he was going to turn it down and not extend, I think we all can assume that meant he was finally going to retire.
His decision?
I'll be honest, of all LeBron's options, this one surprised me the most. I was certain if he was going to stay that he would just do another 1+1 type deal where Year 2 is another player option. He's basically done that for the last decade, and at his age it makes sense. LeBron is all about leverage, so it was a little surprising to see him not go that route.
By opting out and re-signing, he also could have technically come in at a lower number. FVV just did that in Houston, so maybe instead of $53M maybe you could get him to like $45M if that helps you later this summer, considering the holes the Lakers still need to fill. As of right now, the Lakers are slightly below the 1st apron ($4M) and around $16M behind the 2nd apron. That also includes DFS's $15M player option so things are obviously fluid, but they are inching closer and closer to being in the 2pron territory, which does not includes Reaves' pending extension (1+1 left on his current deal) or any sort of Rui Hachimura extension (expiring) or Luka extention (1+1).
Based on how Rich Paul is talking, it does feel like this is a decision that gives LeBron some options at the end of the year, but also signals that we very well may be about to experience the LeBron Farewell Tour this series. He may not have said
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"This year is my final year, I'm retiring after the season"
But his player option decision (and lack of extension), does all the talking for him. In terms of his production, it's not as if this is a player who can't get it done anymore and simply needs to walk away. LeBron just made 2nd Team All NBA!
So to me, this doesn't really feel like the first step towards retirement. If you go to Shams' story, it does sort of feel like perhaps this might not be the end for LeBron as an NBA player, and instead is just the first domino to drop of it being the end of LeBron as a Laker
James, the NBA's career leading scorer, wants to compete for a championship next season and potentially beyond and will be closely monitoring the Lakers' moves and whether the team is positioning itself this offseason to field a title-contending roster.
"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.
Does LeBron think he can't win a title with Luka? Does he think Reaves is hitting the market, and he took a quick look at their future contracts and pick/cap situation and knows that group isn't good enough? Perhaps that's why there was no 1+1 extension this time. It's not about retiring, it's just about getting off a sinking ship before it starts going down. I'm not saying that, LeBron and Rich Paul are saying it. Considering he also has a no-trade clause, it's not as if the Lakers can not take his deal and flip it if they think he's leaving, unless it's to wherever he wants. That's leverage, baby.
In some ways, this makes sense. Get a look of a full season next to Luka, see how they add later this summer, and then if he's still the same LeBron in 2025-26 but the team once again loses in the 1st Round, then it's see ya later. He'll pack his things, grab Bronny, and they'll be off to another team. Who that might be is anyone's guess, but that feels more plausible than LeBorn just riding off into the sunset.
As a Lakers fan, this would definitely have me on edge. If LeBron is out and you're left with Luka and Reaves as your only main pieces……that's not exactly a title contender. Perhaps this is why Jeanie Buss got ahead of things and secured that $10B. She saw the writing on the wall, she saw the LeBron Era coming to a potential end, and decided to cash in. Not a bad decision if you ask me, considering none of this is her problem now.