LeBron James is giving a lot to talk about as the Los Angeles Lakers have once again fallen short from winning an NBA championship. The King has a player option for next season, but it’s still unclear whether he intends to opt into it.
James even teased retirement after the purple and gold’s playoff elimination, but that may not be the route he’ll ultimately take this offseason. Or at least that’s what Shams Charania understands.
According to the NBA insider of The Athletic, The King plans to extend his career for up to two more seasons. The Lakers want to move forward with LeBron, which is why they reportedly plan to persuade him with their next coaching hire apart from planning to draft his son Bronny this year.
“LeBron James wants to play up until two more NBA seasons,” Shams said. “The Lakers want to bring him back, and want to bring in Bronny James in the second round. They are going to start coaching interviews next week. I would look at names like Kenny Atkinson, Reddick, and David Adelman. LeBron wants to see what moves the Lakers make before his player option.”
Lakers’ coaching search could be crucial to keep James
While James‘ decision is without any doubt the most intriguing question in LA this summer, the Lakers need to make a big call before LeBron makes up his mind.
After firing Darvin Ham, the front office has to make sure to get it right with its next head coach, as it could be crucial to convince James to stay. As Shams said, the list of candidates has reduced.
Mike Budenholzer seemed to be on the Lakers’ radar, but it looks like he’s replacing Frank Vogel at the Phoenix Suns. Tyronn Lue has also been linked with the Lakers, but he’s expected to sign an extension with the Clippers this offseason. It will be a busy summer for the Lakers, so we’ll have to wait and see how everything plays out.