Getty LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
LeBron James has always endured criticism in the media, and nobody has been more judicial of the Los Angeles Lakers star that Skip Bayless, who often finds reason to discredit the superstar.
Of course, with LeBron opting to participate in this year’s Drew League, Bayless had some prime ammunition and took to Twitter to share his opinion on the 37-year-old’s performance.
Love it that LeBron played in the Drew League today. But: he shot only 2-13 from three??? He missed the late free throw that would’ve at least clinched overtime? Some things never change.
LeBron Could Leave Los Angeles
Despite LeBron’s advancing age, he’s still one of the best players on the planet, and proved so last season, as he posted an average of 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game while shooting 52.4% from the field and 35.9% from deep.
That sort of production is hard to replace. Yet, according to an Eastern Conference executive, who spoke to Heavy.com under the condition of anonymity, unless the Lakers can make some roster moves to appease their superstar, he could be a flight risk as an unrestricted free agent next season.
Report: Lebron James contract extension with the lakers will rely on the roster moves made this off-season
It’s to be said that if no impactful roster changes are made then Lebron will look to look leave In Free Agency when his contract is Up 😳
“It is possible (that LeBron leaves the Lakers). Of course, it is. Who thought Kevin Durant was a flight risk two months ago? Things change and players are taking more and more power and no one has more power than LeBron—if he wants out, he will get out. They had the injuries last year and the year before, and pretty much every year that he has been there except the championship year.
That’s not the organization’s fault. And the personnel, he had a lot of say on that, you can’t put that all on the organization. But it has not been a completely happy marriage and he could be a free agent next summer, a lot of teams will have cap room. It’s not his first choice, leaving. But it is not off the table, it would seem,” The executive told Heavy.com’s, Sean Deveney.
Of course, the Lakers will likely try to appease LeBron, as he continues to defy the aging process and dominate his opponents, making it clear he’s still capable of being a focal point for a contending team.
LeBron Praises DeMar DeRozan
While LeBron was a force of nature during his drew league appearance, he wasn’t the only high-caliber NBA player taking part in the showcase, as DeMar DeRozan also showed out, leading LeBron to praise the Chicago Bulls star on Twitter.
My dog Debo!!! @DeMar_DeRozan ✊🏾
During the summer of 2021, DeRozan was one of the Lakers’ top targets, before they shifted gears and decided to acquire Russell Westbrook. This past season, DeRozan averaged 27.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.9 assists, while shooting 50.4% from the field and a career-high 35.2% from three-point range.
Unfortunately, it’s highly unlikely we will see DeRozan donning the purple and gold, and as we all know, the Westbrook project didn’t work out. Still, the drew league was a fun exhibition, and proved that LeBron still has plenty of dominance left in the tank, let’s just hope the Lakers find a way to putting a winning roster on the floor with him.