Last call, LeBron.
You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.
It’s time for the Lakers to turn out the lights on the greatest player in NBA history and begin forging a new future without his stultifying aura and suffocating presence.
If this is no longer LeBron James’ team, then it can no longer be his franchise.
If the Lakers really want to build around Luka Doncic, they can’t do it at a job site still dominated by the NBA’s most venerable cornerstone.
When James becomes a free agent this summer after his $52.6-million deal expires, the Lakers should not offer him a similar contract, a greatly reduced contract, or any kind of contract.
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If he wants to retire, show him the love. If he wants to keep playing, show him the door.
James finished his 23rd season Monday night unable to drag his shorthanded group past the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, losing for a fourth consecutive game in a 115-110 season-ending defeat at Crypto.com Arena.
The Lakers were swept for the second time in four years, and there was nothing James could do about it.
He played decently in the series, but appeared to tire with only one day off between games, and showed he can no longer carry a team for a sustained period.
He seemed wiped out after his heroics won two of four games in the first round against the equally shorthanded Houston Rockets, his postseason epitomized in the next round by a thunderous Game 3 fast break.
The Thunder had rebounded a missed Lakers layup and Alex Caruso was streaking alone down the court for a layup while the 41-year-old James was wearily walking behind him.
Two days later, at the end of a tense Game 4 on Monday, James exhaustedly faltered again, allowing Chet Holmgren to dunk over him to give the Thunder a lead with 32 seconds remaining, then missing six-foot floater 10 seconds later to essentially end it.
Certainly, James did well here in his eight seasons as a Laker, breaking all sorts of career NBA records while leading the team to a bubble-wrapped title in 2020. He’s still one of the 15 best players in the league, and his last-second, game-tying three-pointer in Game 3 against the Rockets proved he is still one of the most clutch.
Lakers star LeBron James tries to shoot over Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein, left, late in the Lakers’ season-ending Game 4 loss in the Western Conference semifinals at Crypto.com Arena on Monday night.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
But he never endeared himself to fans longing for another Kobe Bryant, his cryptic passive-aggressive behavior always making it seem as if he had one foot out the door. And now that the tread on those tires is thin, and the gas in that tank is approaching empty, the Lakers should not feel compelled to give him the sweetheart retirement contract they gave Bryant.
They need more youth, more depth, more athleticism. They need to pay Austin Reaves, they need a center, they need a defender, they don’t need more LeBron, and their fans won’t be clamoring for it.
Nothing is ever certain with him, of course.
At the final buzzer Monday, there arose three questions that could painstakingly stretch into the summer.
Is James going to retire? If not, does he want to stay with the Lakers? If so, do the Lakers want him?
As expected, the elusive James did not address any of the three questions in his postgame news conference Monday night, instead doing what he usually does best in the summer, keeping everyone guessing.
“I don’t know what the future holds for me,” he said, adding, “Obviously as it stands right now tonight, I’ve got a lot of time, I’ll sit back … go back and recalibrate with my family and talk to them … and when the time comes, obviously, you guys will know what I’ve decided.”
The unanswered answer to the first question appears clear. He is likely not retiring. He seemed to be rejuvenated this season as his son Bronny accompanied him for more minutes and his body stayed relatively strong.
His 33 minutes per game was a career low and his 21 points a game was the lowest since his rookie season 23 years ago, but still … throw in six rebounds and seven assists and you’d have a stat line that most NBA players would embrace at their peak.
He’s still damn good. Dude is not quitting.
LeBron James scores against the Denver Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena on March 14.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
The answer to the second question also seems easy. Yes, James probably wants to stay with the Lakers because his home is here, he’s been raising his family here, and his billion-dollar businesses are based here.
Even though he is not totally beloved here, he surely would value a retirement tour while wearing a Lakers uniform, and would certainly take considerably less money to make that happen.
But how much less? And at what cost to the entirety of the Lakers’ rebuild?
Thus begs the third question. Do the Lakers want him back? Unsurprisingly for an organization that had traditionally made its biggest moves in the dark of night, the answer is unknown.
Rob Pelinka, president of basketball operations and general manager, seemed to make it clear late last summer when, regarding James, he told the media, “If he had the chance to retire as a Laker, that would be great.”
Barely two months later, though, the Dodgers’ shrewd ownership group bought the Lakers, and who knows what they think?
If Jeanie Buss were still in charge, James would probably already have a gazillion-dollar contract and part ownership. But now that Mark Walter is running the show, all bets are off.
A word of advice for the new group? Do what has made the Dodgers great. Listen to the mantra of co-owner Stan Kasten when he constantly talks about “sustained success.”
Will the Lakers take a national image hit by cutting James loose? Probably. Will they immediately win more games next year without him hanging around? Probably not. Are they closer to catching Oklahoma City and San Antonio without him? Not immediately.
Saying goodbye to James is not a move for next year, but for the next five years. After they give Reaves the max $241-million contract, having James off the books will give them much more flexibility and maneuverability to creatively craft for the future and achieve that “sustained success” that every sports franchise should covet.
This does not necessarily include trading for the oft-injured Giannis Antetokounmpo. This could mean trading for some other star whose unhappiness in his current situation has not yet been revealed. This could mean a lot of things. With James gone, everything is on the table.
The argument posed by James’ supporters is, who are you going to find that’s better than him? A counter-argument would be, he’ll be 42 next season, and the Lakers should take their chances.
LeBron James does his pregame powder toss before Game 1 of the Lakers’ first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets on April 18.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
As for James, if he would agree to a mid-level exception of between $12 million and $15 million — a huge and humbling pay cut — he could go to contenders such as the Cleveland Cavaliers, the New York Knicks or the Golden State Warriors.
Yeah, Cleveland. LeBron James could end his career where it started, wouldn’t that be starry and sweet? Or he could go up the coast and end his career alongside Steph Curry. Wouldn’t that be cool? Or he could go to the league’s most famous arena and finish his journey playing in front of Ben Stiller, wouldn’t that be fabulous?
Anywhere but here.
