The Lakers’ top priority this offseason is to bring back LeBron James.
They want LeBron back on whatever terms he wants, as ESPN’s Dave McMenamin stated on the Rich Eisen show this week. (Due to the over-38 rule, no team can offer LeBron more than three years and $164 million. Los Angeles can.)
“The Lakers intend to have LeBron James return on any term he wants, whether it’s a one-year, two-year, three-year contract, or whatever. “They’d love to keep LeBron James in the purple and gold until he retires, whenever that may be.”
That is a basketball decision; he was the Lakers’ best player, their primary shot creator, and is still performing at an All-NBA level in his 39th season. More than that, he was the team’s energy barometer; when LeBron turned on his jets for part or all of a game, everyone else on the team increased their level of play along with him.
This is also a business decision, as LeBron fills the Crypto.com Arena, sells sponsorships, attracts television audiences, and remains the sport’s most recognizable player brand. Whatever the Lakers pay LeBron, he is well worth it in terms of revenue for the team.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Lakers are open to drafting LeBron’s son Bronny James as part of his return.
The Lakers would not use their No. 17 first-round pick on Bronny; that would be far too high for a player who, according to NBC Sports, has potential but is not yet NBA-ready and will require years of development. The Lakers also have the No. 55 pick and could trade for another second-round pick.
Is that best for Bronny and what he desires? These are the real questions he and his family/representatives must answer. He could spend time developing with an NBA team (meaning games in the G-League), or he could use the transfer portal to go to another college and grow his game there with more run, and possibly more in his traditional point guard role, which he did not get to play at USC last season.
The takeaway here is that if LeBron truly wants it, the Lakers will go to any length to keep him around. It’s why Tyronn Lue’s name keeps coming up in Lakers coaching search discussions while he’s still under contract with the Clippers — he’s LeBron’s choice. (If you think Steve Ballmer and the Clippers will let Lue out of his contract so he can coach their city rivals, you probably don’t believe birds exist.) Although LeBron will not be involved in the coaching search, the Lakers will not hire anyone he does not approve of.
LeBron has historically used his free agency leverage to effect changes in an organization, and while he may be less hands-on now than in the past, the Lakers are well aware of the importance of pleasing him.