Kendrick Perkins addresses who LeBron James is really sending a message to with demands over LA Lakers’ build

Perkins thinks James is putting pressure on the new owners

Despite being 40, James is still one of the best players in the NBA, as proven by his All-NBA selection in Year 22.

Heading into the next campaign, he is once again tipped to be an All-Star player, but despite him playing well the Lakers have not had any playoff success in recent years.

With the new ownership taking over the team recently, Perkins believes that James’ opt-in was just a message to them, showing how they needed to work on the roster to improve the franchise.

Speaking on First Take, the former Boston Celtics player said: “LeBron ain’t going nowhere, I think because it’s a new owner It was just a message out there and one I think it was clear on Rich Paul part about him opting on which got us to this point.

“I think also it was a message to the new ownership group that the standards are the same right.

“‘I’m trying to compete for a championship ‘ and as the new owner of the Lakers the standard should always be that, you’re one of the most historic franchises in sports.”

The Lakers need to make changes to keep LeBron James happy

James and Luka Doncic showcased last season what they could do together as a duo.

However, they failed in the postseason due to lack of options at the center position.

Rob Pelinka identified that and promised a new center in his exit interview.

With free agency just opening, that is probably going to be the first thing the Lakers address.

In his statement to announce James’ opt in, Rich Paul said: “LeBron wants to compete for a championship. He knows the Lakers are building for the future but he values a realistic chance to win it all.”

James and Doncic are both sensational players, but the Purple and Gold need more than just that to compete for a title.

In the playoffs, the Lakers struggled to find scoring from anyone apart from their star duo, which showed how weak their supporting cast was.

They will certainly need to look into bringing another strong scoring option off the bench as well if they want to have a chance at competing against the other teams in the West, let alone win a championship.