The Los Angeles Lakers have added their starting center in former No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton, who is an upgrade over Jaxson Hayes.
But whether that is enough for LeBron James, who sent an ultimatum to the Lakers that he wanted to compete for a championship, is still to be determined.
According to Lakers beat reporter Jovan Buha, James’ relationship with the franchise that he led to the 2020 NBA championship is not in the best place.
“I want to be careful with what I say about Bron’s relationship with the front office or the organization, but I don’t think it’s in the best place right now, to be completely honest,” Buha said on his podcast, “Buha’s Block” on July 7. “As you know, there’s been no official statement about LeBron opting in. There typically is, especially for a player of that magnitude. And then he’s had his stuff on social media or whatever he’s posted, and there was obviously the statement when he opted in. So, I don’t think things are in the best place they’ve ever been. I’ll just say that. Make of that what you want.”
No Extension Talk With LeBron
Trade speculations surrounding the soon-to-be-41-year-old James has become rampant ever since his agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul issued a strong statement after his top client opted in instead of his customary opt-out and sign a new one-plus-one deal.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Paul told ESPN. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, James and the Lakers “did not have substantive discussions” about an extension, which is a signal that the franchise is pivoting off him and building around Luka Doncic.
Lakers Ceding Power to Luka From LeBron
Upon Doncic’s arrival, the Lakers quickly catered to his demands leading to the rescinded Mark Williams trade, which James’ camp took notice.
“We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future,” Paul continued. “We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what’s best for him.”
The Lakers have made it clear they are prioritizing the future instead of the present when their first move in free agency was to sign 23-year-old wing Jake LaRavia after only offering a two-year deal for Dorian Finney-Smith, who bolted for the Houston Rockets.
Adding another layer of intrigue is Ayton’s revelation that James has yet to hear from James since his arrival in Los Angeles.
“Not really yet,” Ayton told ESPN. “But I definitely got a text from Luka. I know how the offseason goes — this isn’t my first rodeo. People are probably busy training and spending time with their families.”
Ayton is perceived as Luka’s guy since they share the same agent in Bill Duffy, WMA Sports’ head of their basketball division.
