Getty Anthony Davis and LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Los Angeles Lakers are heading into a pivotal offseason with LeBron James’ future taking center stage. James’ contract is set to expire after the 2022-23 season, but the superstar is eligible to sign an extension with the Lakers this offseason.
The Ringer’s Bill Simmons and Ryan Russillo recently discussed the best and worst NBA situations if you were taking over as the team’s new general manager. Simmons noted that if he was the Lakers general manager, he would push to trade James while adding that Anthony Davis could look to leave Los Angeles if the superstar bolts in 2023.
“She’s [Jeanie Buss] a very nice person, but it’s a bizarre ownership situation, just bizarre,” Simmons explained during his June 13, 2022 podcast. “And you have a fan base with huge expectations, and I just think it’s going to be a really dark next few years.
“And I think that’s a really hard job because if I took the job, I would try to trade LeBron right now. That would be my move. I’m not winning the title next year. I would really try to aggressively try to turn LeBron into something back and then try to figure out what I have with Davis. But they’re not going to do that and then LeBron’s going to leave after next season and now it’s just Davis.
“Well, what’s going to happen with that? How many times have we talked about, ‘Well, he’s under a long contract.’ Okay, great. He’s gonna want out of the Lakers [if James leaves]. So, I just wouldn’t want to be involved in any of that. No, thanks.”
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NBA GM: ‘There Is No Sign That LeBron Wants to Leave L.A.’
The Lakers have Davis under contract through the 2024-25 season as part of his five-year, $189.9 million deal. Simmons was indicating that Davis could look to force his way onto a new team if James is no longer part of the Lakers. During his conversation around the league, Heavy.com’s NBA insider Sean Deveney spoke with one Western Conference general manager who described the idea that James would not retire as a Laker as a “huge, huge long shot.”
“There is no sign that LeBron wants to leave L.A.,” the Western Conference GM explained. “That is just, it’s where all his business ventures are, it is where he wants to retire. It is a huge, huge long shot to think he will not be with the Lakers when his career ends. But, would he pass up a chance to go play with KD to finish his career?
“They are not great friends but they have a lot of respect for each other, they like each other, I think they recognize that they both raised their levels because of the other guy. So, if Brooklyn keeps its cap space open, depending on what happens with Kyrie (Irving, who has a player option), LeBron could have that option, go to Brooklyn and play there in 2023. But they could make it happen.”
Will the Lakers Explore Trading LeBron?
Despite wild trade rumors, there is no indication that the Lakers will explore trades for James, even if the All-Star does not sign an extension this summer. Given James and Davis’ ties to Klutch Sports, there is little chance the Lakers big man will be moved either. Even if the Lakers wanted to trade Davis, his trade value is likely the lowest it has been during his career given recent injuries.
The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported that the Lakers are okay with James taking a “year by year approach” and will not look to trade the superstar. This means the Lakers are okay taking the risk of losing James next offseason without receiving any compensation.
“If LeBron James ultimately decides against signing an extension with the Lakers in August, sources say Buss wouldn’t see his desire to play out the final season of his contract as a reason to consider trading him,” Amick detailed on May 5. “Without an extension, James’ current deal will expire after next season (in which he’s owed $47.1 million).
“It’s a natural question to ask in these sorts of situations, as the notion of James leaving the Lakers empty-handed by signing elsewhere in the summer of 2023 would be less than ideal. Still, all signs point to the year-by-year approach being considered acceptable by the Lakers — so long as the relationship with James is still in a good place.”