The Los Angeles Lakers have lost the Western Conference semifinal series to the Oklahoma City Thunder 0-4, and LeBron James’ future is again under scrutiny. King James will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and the Lakers have yet to offer him an extension. TV analyst Shannon Sharpe, who is also a public admirer of James, backed LBJ for the Lakers and said that he has greatly impacted the franchise.
Sharpe took to his show, Nightcap, to discuss whether the Lakers should keep LBJ on the roster. He said:
“I don’t remember the Lakers being on TV with Kobe when he was hurt. But I’ll tell you who was on TV, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors…they wasn’t on TV. Yeah, they was in the L.A. market, but they weren’t broadcast nationally, don’t do that.”
James was brought to LA to revive a dying Lakers franchise that gradually disappeared after Kobe Bryant hung up his sneakers in 2016. He built them into a championship-winning squad in 2020 after a decade. As Sharpe said, Luka Doncic will give the Lakers a similar amount of attention to what LeBron James brought. However, to build them back into worthy contenders from zero was something that would have been way more difficult for LeBron James.
Given his performance in the playoffs and the value that he commands in the league, Jeanie Buss and the Lakers might not want to move him. However, they would have to make a lot of permutations and combinations to keep him in his place.
Rob Pelinka clears the Lakers’ stance on LeBron James
While Luka Doncic expressed his wish to play alongside Austin Reaves for the foreseeable future, the LA Lakers president of basketball operations, Rob Pelinka, clarified that the franchise wanted LeBron James back on the roster. Pelinka quashed all doubts of the team re-signing the 4-time NBA champion for another season, and now, the ball is in his court.
Pelinka said, via ESPN:
“We probably haven’t seen a player that has honored the game to the extent that he’s honored the game. He’s given so much to his teammates, to this organization. And the thing we want to do more than anything else is honor him back.”
Austin Reaves will also be due a contract extension this offseason, hoping for a max deal. If the franchise wants to keep both him and James on the team, the 4-time NBA MVP might have to take a pay cut to accumulate Reaves’ max contract. James said that he will take his time and discuss with the family about his future in the NBA.
Bronny James will be in LA regardless of his father for now. This also might play a part in LeBron James’ decision to sign with the Lakers. Several analysts have suggested that the Ohio native might team up with Steph Curry on the Golden State Warriors if he decides to switch. Only time will tell what happens to the legend’s storied NBA career after 23 seasons of playing at the highest level.
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