Following one of their worst campaignsin recent years, there were many doubts around theLakers‘ future during the offseason. LeBron James had a decision to make about his contract, the team had to search for a new head coach, and many wondered whether the front office would rebuild the roster.
In the end, Darvin Ham took the reins, there were no major changes — Russell Westbrook returned, while Patrick Beverley was the biggest addition — and The King signed a two-year deal. However, nothing seems to have changed on the court.
Los Angeles is once again struggling to get results, showing serious problems at the time of shooting, and after a 2-9 start it looks like this could be another year with no playoffs. According to a report, James doesn’t want Rob Pelinka to wait until next summer to make changes.
Rumor: LeBron James doesn’t want Lakers to waste more time
According to NBA Insider Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, James has committed to a new contract under the promise that Los Angeles would make an effort to surround him with championship material during the duration of his deal.The King reportedly wants the Lakers to start fulfilling their promise now.
“James, who turns 38 next month and is in Year 20 of his NBA career, does not want to waste a season of his high-level playing days in hopes of incoming reinforcements for the 2023-24 campaign, sources say,” Haynes wrote. “Other core players on the roster would likewise prefer those picks to be used to elevate this year’s team.
“That’s the burdensome decision Pelinka now faces. With the team’s trajectory trending south, sources indicate the front office is unlikely to attach those picks to a potential trade out of concern that such a transaction would not significantly change the course of the season.”
Of course, this isn’t a nice situation for anyone in the Lakers’ building, but it’s even more complicated for James. At 37, he still proves to have something left in the tank, but it looks like this team holds him back. The outlook is not encouraging, but only time will tell whether they can turn this situation around.