Three days into the playoffs, the Lakers' uniforms and players have also begun vacation mode. Because of the Big Three that failed last season, the Lakers lineup list is mostly a base salary player with a one-year contract, which has forced them to start building the team again this offseason. Although it is not yet May, and the NBA season of the 21-22 season is still some time away from officially ending, the work of the Lakers clearly needs to be carried out as soon as possible. First of all, they need to identify a good manager as soon as possible. Second, they need to negotiate a contract extension with James and use that as a way to decide how to handle Westbrook's contract. However, the Lakers' bad luck did not end with the end of the season, they repeatedly ran into walls in the process of coaching, and at this stage, it seems that James is not very interested in renewing the contract with the Lakers. According to well-known journalist Sam Asik, James and his team tend to fulfill their final-year contract with the Lakers and then re-negotiate with the Lakers as free agents.
In fact, this is James's contract renewal model after returning to the Cavaliers for the second time. Through short-term contract extensions, James has maintained pressure on management, allowing the team to keep in the mode of strengthening the championship. No matter how much responsibility should be taken in the Westbrook deal, James is still disappointed with the Lakers' management's operation this season. Once the 37-year-old superstar decides not to renew his contract with the Lakers early, the Lakers' 22-year offseason is likely to change dramatically. First of all, if there is no guarantee that James will stay in the team for the next 3 years, the Lakers will obviously not post the only 2026 and 2029 first-round picks they had 30 years ago in order to send Westbrook. Whether it is to retain Wei Shao until the end of the contract or to send him away before the 22-23 season trade deadline, the Lakers will not have absolute strength to rush to the championship, which means that the cooperation between the Lakers and James will end in the summer of 23 years, and even in this offseason it is possible to sell James early.
According to media analysis, if James does not eventually renew his contract, then the Lakers will most likely use mini-middle-class contracts and basic salary contracts to supplement. After a season, if James leaves, the Lakers will simultaneously begin exploring the trade market for Anthony Davis, exchanging the less than 30-year-old superstar for some rebuilding assets in return. By then, the Lakers will have more than 50 million salary space, and with no long-term contracts on the payroll, their rebuild will be completed quickly. If James agrees to a contract extension this season, the Lakers will continue to try to strengthen the championship next season. But next season's results will also determine the Lakers' future team building ideas, after all, James will be 38 years old at that time, and the Lakers cannot always build a team around him.
In fact, at present, the best idea for both sides is to renew the contract for two years, but the last year is set as a player option. In this way, the Lakers can maintain stability for at least two seasons, and Westbrook's contract is not urgently needed to deal with, which can save the team a lot of chips. By the summer of '23, if James can maintain a better state, then the Lakers will have a much lower difficulty in building a lineup. In any case, the Lakers have now reached a key crossroads in the team's fate. If the Purple and Gold are not on the same path of 13 to 18 years of painful reconstruction, then this offseason operation is crucial. Do fans and friends think the Lakers should trade James this summer or continue to build a championship-winning lineup around him? Welcome to discuss and communicate in the comments section!