"LeBron has this organization by the balls" - DeMarcus Cousins dishes only route for LeBron James to secure another title on Lakers

The title hopes for the LA Lakers ended after LeBron James failed to lead the team past the defending champion Denver Nuggets. They lost 108-106 on Monday night, losing their Western Conference first-round series in five games. Now, the organization's future, as well as James' next move, remains uncertain.

James flirted with a triple-double with 33 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists, but that wasn't enough. He was the only Laker who reached the 20-point mark, but four others scored in double digits. This time, the question of what's next for the team lingers as they enter the offseason early.

Former All-Star DeMarcus Cousins broke down what could be the only option for James and the team to compete for a title. Cousins said that the Lakers forward taking a pay cut would be the only option for the franchise to compete for a championship.

"There's only one team with a s***tier situation than Phoenix, and it's the f***ing Lakers," Cousins said. "LeBron has this organization by the balls, it's well known. At what point does LeBron decide to take that pay cut?

"At what point do you take that cut to bring in more talent to compete for a championship? And if that's not the case, what is your goal with being a Laker and moving forward with the rest of your career?"

James has a player option of $51 million to stay with the team for the 2024-25 NBA season. Exercising this option would make it difficult for the team to sign quality role players as the Lakers are over the salary cap.

The Lakers are almost at the second apron, which could restrict them from making further transactions. According to Cousins, if James opts out of his current deal and reconstructs a new deal where he gets less pay, that would open up the option for the team to add a decent supporting cast.

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LeBron James refused to answer if he played his final game for the Lakers

There are tons of questions for the Lakers as they enter the offseason. The biggest question is, will LeBron James return to the team? After they were eliminated by the Nuggets, James paused and refused to answer it as he ended the postgame interview.

Watch the video below to see how James handled the question.

James is the only person who knows the answer to that question. However, given that they just lost and were eliminated, it's understandable that he didn't address it. In the five games against Denver, he averaged 27.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 8.8 assists. LeBron also averaged the most steals in his playoff career this year with 2.4.