The Los Angeles Lakers have completely changed their trajectory by winning 12 of their last 13 games (nine straight), going from hanging onto the No. 6 seed for dear life to having a 2.5-game lead in the No. 3 spot with 11 games left in the regular season. An overlooked part of their run is what it could mean for LeBron James' future with the organization.
The 41-year-old superstar has been a key part of the turnaround, embracing his role as the third option. As Sam Amick of The Athletic highlighted, the past few weeks could serve as a turning point (subscription required):
"All of a sudden, with James putting on a selfless and spectacular show as the game’s best third option, it’s fair to wonder if the notion of him remaining a Laker beyond this season might be a viable option again. If, of course, he doesn’t retire when his contract expires this summer."
LeBron hasn't said anything definitively about his future, not even confirming that he will return for a 24th season. Still, because he is who he is, the speculation has been rampant. It seemed like his relationship with the Lakers had changed for the worse, with Luka Dončić becoming the priority, and ESPN's Dave McMenamin reporting that the superstar's relationship with Jeanie Buss was fractured.
Here we are, with less than three weeks left in the regular season, and all seems to be well in La La Land.
Are Lakers in a better position to convince LeBron to stay?
Again, perhaps LeBron already was leaning toward a return to Los Angeles, as Rob Pelinka said before the season started that he'd welcome the star back next season. You have to think that the Lakers' stance hasn't changed.
All along, it's felt like LA's biggest threat to losing LeBron is Cleveland, and that's still the case. It'd be a storybook ending for him to return where it all began. What would be even better, at least from the Lakers' perspective, is if he opted to stay and retire in purple and gold.
As we all know, LeBron is still very capable of helping a contender. Los Angeles didn't enter this season with the expectation of finishing as a top team in the West (at least not to outsiders), as it is prioritizing its financial flexibility. The front office maintained that stance at the deadline as well. Everything has shifted since then, though.
If the Lakers keep riding this high and extend their momentum into the playoffs, you have to think that a deep playoff run would perhaps sway LeBron to hang around for another season, if he has been seriously thinking about leaving for Cleveland or Golden State. His best chance to win another title could be where he already is.
We don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves here, but one domino effect of LA's late-season shift could result in LeBron re-signing with the team this summer. At least, he doesn't look like someone who wants to leave. He looks genuinely happy. Of course, winning helps with that.
None of this means that he'll declare he wants to stay with the Lakers anytime soon (or at all), as everyone knows he's going to command attention and make everyone sweat before he decides on his future.