“LeBron knows the Lakers are building for the future, and he also wants to compete for championships. We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career,” said Rich Paul in a recent statement to ESPN. This remark highlighted the worry that LeBron James will be willing to go to another team if the Lakers do not build a championship-contending roster. The problem is that, as recent reports revealed, the Lakers are prioritizing rebuilding now around Luka Doncic. This has now brought up an important question: Are LeBron James’s days done? Possibly, if ESPN is to be believed.
ESPN LA’s Jorge Sedano and Scott Kaplan hosted renowned sports writer Ramona Shelburne on the recent episode of their show. With the discussion centrally themed around any upcoming trade deals for the Los Angeles Lakers, Sedano asked if Luka Doncic would be all right if, two years from now, the team is not maximizing a championship window. Shelburne replied by saying, “My sense with Luka is, he’s involved in everything they’re doing. And so, if he had a big problem with it, you know, I don’t know that he would make his feelings known the way LeBron does, but I think he would make his feelings known, whether it would be public or private. He would make his feelings known”.
This statement already highlights that the team is considering the Slovenian as the next face of the franchise. Similarly to LeBron, the 26-year-old is now being consulted on major decisions. To top it off, Shelburne believes that Rob Pelinka made a major investment in Luka and wouldn’t want it to go to waste.
“I just have this level of trust that they have a plan that he’s on board with, right? I don’t know why I have that level of trust, but everything says to me, if you’re Rob Pelinka, you’re going to have a new owner to impress,” said the 45-year-old. “You just pulled off one of the trades of the century. You got a new superstar face of the franchise. You’re gonna do everything right by that guy, right? And you’re gonna make sure everybody’s on board. You’re not going to risk him leaving you in free agency”.
This is a developing story.
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