Will LeBron James return to the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency or land elsewhere? And when will we find out? The second of these two questions has Lakers fans scratching their heads at the moment, as NBA insiders have provided conflicting reports on the matter in recent days.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst asserted this week that the Lakers will have to figure out LeBron's free agency before they make any other decisions this summer. In other words, a LeBron decision is at the very top of Rob Pelinka's to-do list for the offseason. Windhorst even put a deadline of sorts on the Lakers, saying that LA will mess up its entire offseason if it waits beyond June 15 to finalize a James decision.
Lakers fans have no idea when they'll know LeBron James' next team
Windy's perspective made plenty of sense, which is why Lakers fans were confused when Dan Woike and Sam Amick of The Athletic published a piece that appeared to directly contradict Windhorst.
Woike and Amick suggested that LeBron might need to be patient this offseason when it comes to finding out if a return to LA is in the cards.
"According to two high-ranking team sources, the prospect of James returning is still in play from the organization’s point of view," Woike and Amick wrote. "But that scenario would require patience from James, as the Lakers have approximately $50 million in salary cap room and plan on prioritizing roster balance above all else as they continue to build around (Luka) Dončić."
By using the word "patience," Woike and Amick created a picture of the Lakers figuring out their non-LeBron offseason additions before dealing with James.
Lakers should figure out LeBron's free agency before anything else
So, which is it, this Woike/Amick scenario, or the one outlined by Windy? The idea of Pelinka dealing with James first makes more sense, especially as it's now become clear that a return is very much a possibility. This doesn't necessarily guarantee that LeBron will be back, as there's still a chance that James and the Lakers don't agree on a number. But the idea of Pelinka and the Lakers sort of putting LeBron on the back burner while they negotiate trades for key role players? That doesn't sound realistic.
James must be the first domino to fall in an offseason that Pelinka can't afford to flunk. The time is now to build a sustainable contender around Luka, and the additions Pelinka makes this summer will likely have reverberations (good or bad) for the rest of the 2020s, not to mention the remainder of LeBron's career. Pelinka's made some savvy moves recently in the form of Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard. Let's see if he can keep that vibe rolling this summer.
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