Getty Lakers superstar LeBron James heads into an intriguing offseason.
The Los Angeles Lakers are heading towards a pivotal offseason with LeBron James facing a difficult decision about his future. During an interview with Fox Sports’ Kevin Wildes, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons discussed a hypothetical scenario where James potentially pushed for a trade to the Clippers in a blockbuster deal centered around Kawhi Leonard. James has repeatedly made it clear that his desire is to live in Los Angeles, but the Lakers face an uphill battle to become a contender for the 2022-23 season.
“I think it’s interesting you thought it would be a Paul George trade, because I think you could talk me into like either guy [Leonard or George],” Simmons said of a potential Clippers trade during an April 15, 2022 episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast.” “…If I’m the Clippers, I wouldn’t trade Paul George for LeBron, as crazy as that sounds. LeBron’s going to be in his 20th year next year. He’s on the last year of his deal. I have no idea if he’s going to stay. Versus Paul George I have under contract, and he’s really good. And then you have Kawhi, who has just missed a ton of games. I think if you’re them, maybe that’s a chance to reduce the risk of the Kawhi contract and roll the dice with LeBron.”
To be clear, the Lakers are only likely to consider potential James trades if the superstar does not sign a contract extension. Even if James declines to sign a new deal this summer, the Lakers would need some sort of indication that the four-time NBA champion is considering playing elsewhere in 2023 before exploring possible trades.
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Could the Lakers Explore Trading LeBron?
Leonard is recovering from an ACL injury and has not played during the 2021-22 season. The star has battled injuries during the previous two seasons in Los Angeles, playing 109 total games in his three years with the Clippers. Leonard averaged 24.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.6 steals while shooting 39.8% from the three-point line during the 2021-22 season.
Why would the Lakers consider moving on from one of the greatest NBA players of all-time? James has one year remaining on his contract with the Lakers. If James declines to sign an extension this offseason, the Lakers could opt to at least consider potential trades as the franchise faces the possibility of losing the star for nothing. During his final press conference of the season, James did little to confirm he planned to sign an extension this summer.
“Well, the conversation hasn’t been talked about technically because of the collective bargaining agreement,” James told reporters on April 11. “[A contract extension] cannot even be discussed until later on in the year, so. I know it’s out there, but we can’t even- myself and Rich [Paul]- can’t even begin to talk with Rob [Pelinka] or the front office at all because of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. So, when we get to that point, we’ll see.”
LeBron Is Considering Not Signing a Contract Extension With the Lakers: Report
The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported that James is considering not signing an extension which would make him a free agent in 2023. This would put even more pressure on the Lakers this offseason to somehow transform an underachieving roster back into a contender. It also opens up the possibility that James could sign with another team next summer.
“Based on my conversations with people who have a strong sense of such things, it’s clear James is considering playing out this contract rather than signing a two-year extension this summer,” Amick wrote on April 12. “If flexibility and freedom are the goals here, James (who is owed $44.4 million next season) could go back to the year-by-year approach he perfected in his second Cleveland stop.”