There was so much ground to cover at Lakers media day, so many questions about this team heading into the season: Is “skinny” Luka Doncic ready to lead this franchise and a roster better built to play around him? Can DeAndre Ayton be the high-level defensive anchor this team needs him to be in the paint? Is Austin Reaves a good fit playing next to Doncic as a secondary or tertiary shot creator, or are his skills too redundant and the defense too big a concern?
Yet everything at media day seemed to swing back to LeBron James and his future. For the first time in his career, LeBron is not the primary focus of a franchise, and he will be a free agent next summer. What are his plans? The vibe can best be summed up by a video, when LeBron appeared on the Lakers’ local cable network broadcast and host Chris McGee asked him if they would see him next year at Lakers media day.
LeBron used more words to say “maybe” when asked about his future by reporters.
“I don’t know when the end is, but I know it’s a lot sooner than later…
“It would be literally my decision, along with my wife and two of my boys are already gone… It’ll be a decision between me, my wife, and my daughter. There won’t even be a meeting with my teammates.”
LeBron’s decision also will hinge on how this season plays out in Los Angeles. Is LeBron going to play another season after this one? (The conventional wisdom around the league is yes, but nobody is sure, probably not even LeBron.) If he does play another season, does he want that to be a farewell tour? If so, is it in a Lakers jersey? A Cavaliers jersey? Another team?
For LeBron and the Lakers, the focus as training camp opens is on the here-and-now. LeBron said his motivation to put in all the work to return this season was pretty simple.
“Full season with Luka,” LeBron said.
How that full season with LeBron and Luka plays out will have everything to do with the other questions at Lakers training camp. For his part, Doncic looks ready to lead and showcased some added athleticism and motivation at EuroBasket.
The biggest question is around Ayton — the Lakers need a big body center in the paint to defend on one end, then set screens for Doncic and roll hard to the rim on the other. What the Lakers need is a return of the 2020-21 version of Ayton, when he was all those things playing next to (and being pushed by) Chris Paul on a Suns team that reached the NBA Finals.
“It’s the biggest opportunity I can say of my career,” Ayton said at media day, understanding the implications of this season on his next contract. “Some people say it’s my last leg, some people say it’s my last chance. This is an opportunity I can say I’m truly not going to take for granted. It’s almost like a wounded animal. I feel all the tension, and I know where I’m at. I’ve been in the gym every day.”
Ayton is going to be pushed by LeBron and Doncic, but the latter of those is excited to have a center of this caliber.
“I was very excited when they told me we were trying to get DA,” Doncic said. “Obviously, we entered the draft together. I’ve known him for a long time. So, I’m very excited to have him on my team.”
Doncic is also excited to have a full season alongside LeBron James, two of the highest IQ players and best passers in the league, which should create an entertaining and hard-to-stop offense. If it does, would that make LeBron more likely to return for one more year?
Maybe.
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