“You get LeBron James, you know what the stakes are” - Analyst believes LeBron James can only use one leverage in his contract talks with LA Lakers

Shannon Sharpe believes LeBron James will not solidify his future with the LA Lakers until they prove they've done everything possible to chase a championship.

As James shows no signs of slowing down at age 37, he still has a few strong years left in the league. With that, Sharpe argued that James' only leverage with the franchise is to ensure the Lakers are doing all they can to win now.

Sharpe said:

“When you get LeBron, you know what the stakes are. I believe LeBron will sign the contract only when he believes the Lakers have done everything they possibly can to make this a championship-contending team.”

LeBron James waiting to sign contract until Lakers prove devotion to championship

As LeBron James gears up for his 20th season, he has yet to sign a contract extension with the LA Lakers.

It is well-assumed that James will re-sign after the conversation with Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis, in which they committed to next season together.

Yet, LeBron’s contract remains unsigned. Analyst Shannon Sharpe believes James is using his last piece of leverage to influence the Lakers to make moves to become better championship contenders.

After not even making the playoffs last season, James should be expected to come out swinging this year. But he did so last season as well, averaging 30.3 points per game, so the problem is aside from his offensive abilities.

The squad needs to come together and work on their chemistry and devotion. The phone call between AD, Russ and LeBron could prove to be the first step towards making that happen.

James might be prolonging his signing for the reasons Sharpe outlined, but the Lakers have little choices for trades or squad revisions. That's especially so after Westbrook committed to the team again, and it seems LeBron is welcoming that.

The team would have to trade away some of the core it got at the beginning of last season, which Darvin Ham seems opposed to.

Several times, the new Lakers coach has spoken about his excitement to coach Westbrook with the plans he has to utilize him effectively. That is the kind of energy the Lakers need going forward, but it may not be enough.

James may realize that last season was a marker for something greater than an inability to gain chemistry. The league is developing with younger, explosive stars, and the Lakers are going to need some of that if they wish to compete deep into the playoffs.

While there is no telling what moves the Lakers could make to improve their already superstar-filled squad, James is looking for an immediate championship.