The Los Angeles Lakers’ roller-coaster season came to a heartbreaking end on Monday following a 108-106 defeat in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets. A series defeat in the playoffs would ideally take a team off the news cycle until the season concludes, but it’ll do the opposite for the Lakers. And it’s largely due to LeBron James.
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The four-time league MVP left his all on the court against the Nuggets, but it wasn’t enough to upstage the defending champions. He now heads into an offseason that is sure to be dominated by two things – the speculation around his future, and the possibility of him saving face by leading the USA to an Olympic gold. James has a player option for the 2024-25 season and he’s expected to decline it and become a free agent. As Fox Sports analyst Rachel Nichols aptly put forth in a post on X, formerly Twitter, opting out of his contract with the Lakers will leave him with three options.
‘What does LeBron want?’ is the million-dollar question. Or in this case, a three-year, $164 million question, the maximum the Lakers can offer James as a contract extension offer. Signing that deal would guarantee that he finishes his career in LA, but also leaves the franchise with minimum wiggle room financially in their pursuit of top-tier talent, which they need given the debacle this season has been.
James could opt to join another team in pursuit of another championship, but that would likely mean uprooting his family and moving them out of LA, which isn’t in his or his family’s best interest, considering his son Bryce James will be in his senior year at Sierra Canyon High School. The third option, which is the least likely but on the table, is James walking away from the NBA.
He averaged 27.8 points, 8.8 assists, and 6.8 rebounds against the defending champions, suggesting he has plenty left in the tank. Retiring while still one of the best players in the world, like Jordan did in 1998, is a possibility, but the Chicago Bulls icon couldn’t resist a return three years later at 39 because he had plenty left in the tank when he called it quits.
Fourteen teams are still alive in the playoffs and are chasing an NBA title. But their journey will take a backseat in the news cycle until James announces his plans.
Lakers ready to give LeBron James everything his heart desires
While LeBron James ponders his future, the Lakers are making sure that they remain the most enticing option if he doesn’t retire from the NBA. Per NBA insider Shams Charania, LA is willing to offer the 39-year-old superstar the three-year, $164 million maximum extension to ensure he retires a Laker.
The Lakers are sweetening the pot for James by committing to adding his son Bronny James to the roster, who has declared for the 2024 NBA draft. The superstar has a longstanding desire to share the court with his son and LA is willing to make his wish come true. The Lakers aren’t the only ones willing to grind to keep James in LA. In Monday’s post-game press conference, Anthony Davis promised to do his best to pursue James to re-sign with the franchise.
Per Charania, the Lakers are also set to replace Darvin Ham as the head coach and will undoubtedly retool the roster in the offseason to be more competitive next season. LA is pulling all the strings to retain James. But it’s ultimately the veteran’s call whether he wants to stay in LA with the Lakers, join a new team, or bid adieu to the NBA.
