The Los Angeles Lakers lost LeBron James in free agency, but that may have been part of the plan all along. A new report claims that James’ camp believes that the Lakers weren’t serious about bringing him back and wanted him to leave. LeBron announced he was leaving the franchise one day before NBA free agency started after weeks of minimal contact about a contract extension.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin revealed the following on the ESPN site about James’ big decision:
“People close to James believed the Lakers were ready to move on from the 22-time All-Star and were never serious about re-signing him despite president of basketball operations and GM Rob Pelinka stating the contrary during an end-of-season news conference after Los Angeles got swept in the second round by the Oklahoma City Thunder.”
It is extremely rare for a player to announce he’s leaving his current team before he finds a new one in free agency. LeBron was dead set on playing elsewhere and didn’t view the Lakers as a realistic option once other teams had the chance to negotiate with him. The Philadelphia 76ers ended up winning the James race to become a strong title contender next season with Jaylen Brown also joining them.
Why LeBron James Felt Forced Out
Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka publicly said that he wanted to bring back LeBron after the team’s second round elimination. However, various reports throughout the season implied that the franchise wanted to build around younger stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
James was discussed as a secondary figure and took a backseat to both stars for most of the season. Things changed at the end of the regular season when Doncic and Reaves both suffered injuries. LeBron led the Lakers to a first round series victory over the talented Houston Rockets.
Despite James proving he could still be the best player on a winning team, the Lakers clearly prioritized Reaves over him. The younger guard received a massive contract extension, while the team barely spoke to LeBron. Walker Kessler ended up being the biggest offseason move for the Lakers and is essentially the James replacement as a top three player on the team.
All Pressure On Lakers Next Season
The Lakers made some bold risks, but none were bigger than letting James leave. Next season will see pressure on the new look roster to contend in the loaded West against teams like the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder.
Losing LeBron, Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard, and Marcus Smart removed some of the most important players from this past season. Pelinka was content losing talent to find players that he believes are better fits for an offense completely revolving around Luka.
Names like Collin Sexton, Quentin Grimes, and Kessler must all deliver strong results for any chance at success. However, the biggest thing that can bite them is LeBron thriving in Philadelphia while the Lakers barely skate by. James clearly felt that Pelinka wanted him gone and that could make the team look bad if things go poorly next season.
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