This will be a key offseason for the Los Angeles Lakers as they continue to chase their 18th NBA championship. It could even be a fork in the road of sorts, as LeBron James is nearing the end of his career and Luka Doncic is nearing the start of his first full season with the team.
In addition to needing a legitimate starting center, the Lakers need to address Doncic’s contract situation. He can opt out of his current contract and become a free agent next summer, and he could have multiple options as far as what he can do moving forward.
ESPN insider Bobby Marks made an appearance on ESPN’s “Get Up” and said he expects the franchise to be “extremely aggressive” this summer.
“I expect them to be extremely aggressive this offseason, especially with LeBron [James] likely going into, you know, he’s got one year left on his contract. I think there’s three things here. You’ve gotta take advantage of the $60 million in expiring contracts, when you’re looking at certainly players like Gabe Vincent and Rui Hachimura. The second thing is, they showed their hand at the trade deadline when they made that Mark Williams trade that wound up failing him on his physical. They are going to go out and get a center this offseason, we’ll see how that goes, you’ve got one first-round pick to do that. And then the third thing is, keep an eye on Aug. 2. That is when Luka is eligible to sign that extension. So you’re trying to build for the now, but I think you also have to have an eye for the future when eventually LeBron does retire here.”
One incentive to be very aggressive that the Lakers have is their need to show Doncic that they’re serious about helping him win his first world title. He got to the NBA Finals last year with the Dallas Mavericks, only to lose there in five games.
He looked noticeably slimmer during a public appearance, and at least one report has indicated that he is changing his health regimen after being criticized for not keeping himself in shape.
James has a $52.6 million player option for next season that he can decline in order to become a free agent and sign a slightly longer new deal, or to leave the Lakers, although most expect him to stay put. The deadline for him to make a decision on that option is June 29.