LeBron James decided to opt in to the final year of his contract with the LA Lakers.
While the decision helps him make $52.6 million, his agent Rich Paul’s remarks after the decision have left the Purple and Gold fans a little worried.
In a statement after announcing LeBron James‘ decision, Paul said: “He knows the Lakers are building for the future.
“He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”
Last year James had a similar decision to make and he decided to opt out and sign a new deal, but the 40-year-old’s opt in now means the Lakers have a lot of decisions to make.
All reports suggest that the four-time champion wants to stay in LA, but emphasis has also been placed on his desire to win.
Going into his 23rd year in the league, James will be looking to play his best basketball and help the Lakers make a championship run.
However, the LA Lakers player could very well play out his contract or even be part of a trade that would send him to another team.
A Lakers insider has revealed that James and a team have had buzz for a couple of years.
The news of James’ opt in has led to many potential trade destinations being discussed.
Lakers Insider Jovan Buha named Dallas Mavericks as one of the teams that could be interested in him.
He said: “As for where LeBron could go, I think it’s a little bit too early for that, I don’t think we’re at a point of him asking out but if he does I assume there will be a list, but in terms of four teams that make sense I came up with Dallas, Cleveland, New York and Golden State in no particular order.
“But I will say that there has been some LeBron and Dallas buzz going on for a couple of years.”
Buha also went on to talk about a Mavs-James trade rumour that came around in 2023 at the time Irving went to Dallas.
“There has been some buzz in general NBA ether over the last week or two with LeBron and Dallas,” he added.
Despite being a player aged 40, he is still one of the best players in the league and can perform at a high level.
However, in the past few years, the Lakers have failed to put the right pieces around him and this has led to disappointing endings in the playoffs.
The most recent campaign was another example of that, as the team looked great in the second half, but trading away Anthony Davis led to a gap in the center position, which meant they would have to be satisfied with Jaxson Hayes as their starting big.
He was dominated by Rudy Gobert in their playoff matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves and this showed the team that they needed a new center.
Rob Pelinka confirmed the team would make a trade for a big in the offseason, but they just do not have the assets to do anything massive.
James’ opt in was a move to put pressure on the Lakers to execute a trade that will help the roster move forward.
His son Bronny James is on the roster and he would want to be with him while he is still in the NBA.
Now with free agency opening, the team has a few options to pick from in the center market.
Although they are short of assets, they need a center to keep James happy and on the roster until he retires.
