It is not ruled out that the two sides will break up completely, and many teams are interested in the Lakers to lay out the future
On February 1, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued. Earlier today, The Ringer's famous Kevin O'Connor reported that if the Lakers don't do well this season, James is likely to switch teams in the offseason or even leave before the trade deadline.
The Lakers aren't in a good position right now, and after yesterday's loss to the Hawks, they are only 24-25 and temporarily sit in ninth place in the West, which is far from what they expected. As the star of the team, James obviously can't accept such a result. After yesterday's game, James posted a funnel countdown emoji on social media, which made people wonder about his future.
In response, Kevin O'Connor wrote that whether it is to pursue more championships or play with his son Bronny, James is likely to break up with the Lakers completely. James can choose to forfeit the option, or execute the option and request a trade. If the Lakers can't keep James in the offseason, they could send him away before the trade deadline in exchange for some returns. If James is tradeable, the Heat, Knicks, 76ers, Warriors and Cavaliers could all be in contention. And the Lakers can get some chips to prepare for the future pursuit of stars like Doncic.
O'Connor also said that the Lakers are still in a position of relative advantage, and the likelihood of either side proposing to separate is relatively low. James can still show his impact on the game in key games, but neither the regular season struggles nor the midseason tournament should be what he wants. James' chances to chase a championship are numbered, and the few days between now and the trade deadline will be a process of testing each other for the Lakers and James.
In fact, Brian Windhorst and other names have previously said that they do not rule out the possibility of James leaving the Lakers this summer. Throughout James' career, he has never been traded by the team, so how will he and the Lakers end up this season?