Draymond Green shared his opinion on LeBron James entering free agency for the first time since 2018, saying that the Lakers are dealing with uncertainty across the organization.
"I think the Lakers gotta decide what is it they wanna do. Are you comfortable going into next season with the same supporting cast that you have? If LeBron decides to leave, what do you do then? Do you trade AD? I think there's a lot of uncertainty coming out of that organization.
Green says that people shouldn't assume that James is definitely returning to the Lakers, though even he believes that is the likely outcome.
"Some people think it's a foregone conclusion that Bron is going back to the Lakers. I don't know that's a foregone conclusion. If there was something that came along that was interesting, I think he'd look at it. But ultimately, I don't quite see him leaving LA."
LeBron is entering free agency for the first time since 2018 when he made the switch from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Los Angeles Lakers. It was widely known that James was leaving the Cavaliers for sure that summer, with the Lakers always being the front-runners to land James. He has opted out of contracts in LA before, but he's immediately signed extensions instead of testing free agency.
LeBron is declining a $51 million player option, which means he's either eyeing a change of scenery or a multi-year deal that will guarantee he plays another few years in the NBA. If the Lakers feel squeamish about matching his demands, it's highly plausible that James could leave the franchise.
There's also the element of Bronny James' draft situation, but LeBron is reportedly not prioritizing teaming up with Bronny this season.
How Much Longer Will LeBron Play?
The biggest question every team will want answered if they hold a meeting with LeBron in the summer is the timeline of his retirement. Committing a large chunk of assets for a player with just a year or two left in the tank will be a hard sell, even if he is LeBron James.
James' agent Rich Paul has indicated James could be playing for two to three more years.
"I believe so," said Paul on whether LeBron will continue his NBA career next season. "We definitely have fewer years with LeBron James than we've already been able to enjoy... I don't know how long we see him but my conversation with him is just have fun. Just enjoy it because you have a lot less years to play than you've already played. I think we see him next year but how many years after that I don't know. I think he has 2-3 years left in the tank, maybe."
If James is aiming to compete at the highest level for a few more seasons, a different team might be in the cards if he can compete for a title there. We already know the Philadelphia 76ers' will be one of the biggest threats to lure LeBron, with an All-NBA duo already in place in a weaker Conference.
The Lakers were always supposed to be the team James would retire on when he joined in 2018. While people didn't expect him to play this long, it seems hard to justify why he'd leave LA given how his family has settled there.
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