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LeBron James has repeatedly said over the years that he is all about winning. He hasn’t done that with the LA Lakers over the past two seasons and is likely headed to that same destination this year.
LA are now 2-8 after losing their last three games by at least 14 points. There is also no easy fix to the myriad of things that have ailed the team this season and could continue to do so moving forward.
Rob Parker, on “The Odd Couple” podcast, had this to say about how LeBron James should look at his future with the Lakers:
(Starts at the 7:38 mark)
“LeBron has to make a decision on what he wants to do. Obviously, he could finish this train in LA and then decide after this season that he needs to move on. Because if he’s hanging around and waiting for Bronny, it’s gonna be a couple more years.
“People are not gonna be satisfied with this in LA with LeBron as he hangs on waiting for Bronny. If I’m a Laker fan, I don’t want any part of that.”
Parker also looked at the Lakers' point of view and said:
“If I’m the Lakers, I gotta seriously look at the situation and say, 'Dude, you ready to move on? Nothing’s happening here. We’re capped out, we got no space, we can’t do anything!'
“'This is what you’re gonna have, a gimpy AD, Westbrook is gonna be gone after this season, the cupboard is bare.'”
LeBron James has vowed that before ending his career, he wants to play for at least one season with his son, Bronny James. LeBron’s two-year extension coincides with the timeline of when Bronny could be eligible for the NBA draft.
But given how the LA Lakers are constructed at the moment, they could miss the playoffs in the next two seasons. Hoping for Anthony Davis to get healthy is almost an exercise in futility, while Russell Westbrook could be on his way out of Hollywood after this season.
LeBron James has also shown a significant drop in his play in year 20 and is set to turn 38 in December. His averages are still great, particularly for someone his age, but they have rarely impacted the game. James has been horrific from 3-point land at 21.0% and hardly pushes the ball in the earlier quarters of games.
If the trend continues, it could mean that Laker Nation will suffer more losses in the months to come. It will be interesting to see if fans and James can live in that kind of situation.
Signing a two-year extension with the LA Lakers might have been the wrong move for LeBron James
LeBron James’ two-year extension is technically one year as he has a player option in the second. Considering how the LA Lakers are doing this season and the status of their salary cap, he’s not in an ideal situation.
Despite confirming to James that they will improve the roster, the Lakers are unlikely to trade their two future first-round picks this season. There are questions over whether there is a trade on the market right now that’s worth those coveted picks that could turn the Lakers into title contenders.
Without a potentially season-changing trade, LA could be headed to disappointment once again.
Some even believe James' decision to sign a two-year extension this offseason could be the biggest mistake of his career given the Lakers' problems.
