All good things eventually come to an end, and not even LeBron Jamesā career will be the exception to that rule. The veteran forward continues to be the heart and soul of the Los Angeles Lakers, but heās not getting any younger.
Even so, should he become available via trade or free agency, thereās no denying that multiple teams would line up to try and sign him, even if itās just for a year or for marketing-related purposes.
Unfortunately for them, it seems like The King has already made up his mind about the last team he wants to play in, and thatās non-other than the Los Angeles Lakers, according to ESPN insider Zach Lowe.
NBA Rumors: LeBron James Wants To Retire With The Lakers
āI keep hearing he wants to stay with the Lakers,ā Lowe said. āHe wants to finish his career with the Lakers. His comments though should be interpreted as his patience is not infinite and if this is just a continued morass of losing, maybe that changes. But if you force me to bet, Iād still bet on him finishing his career with the Lakers. And Iād feel pretty confident in that.ā
James Doesnāt Care About The Lakersā First-Round Picks
Of course, that will also require him and the front office to see eye to eye about their plans for the future. According to ESPNās Brian Windhorst, James would much rather they trade their first-round picks to try and win now:
āLeBron James doesnāt care about first-round draft picks. And if you were him, you wouldnāt either,ā Windhorst said on The Hoops Collective. āThe reasons why the Lakers are so cautious about those picks have been documented. The reason why James has little care for future picks is assumed to be his age, now 38, and the desire to maximize his remaining playing days. That is certainly true, but thereās more to it.ā
Rob Pelinka has made it clear that heās not going to trade either of their future first-round picks unless a superstar suddenly becomes available, but that seems less likely by the day. So, will James change his mind? Weāll have to wait and see.
