Lakers predicted to cut ties with LeBron James, 51M assassin to retain Austin Reaves this summer
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Lakers predicted to cut ties with LeBron James, 51M assassin to retain Austin Reaves this summer originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Los Angeles Lakers are still trying to figure out how to become a consistently dominant team. LeBron James has had an up-and-down season, and the team overall has struggled with consistency. Even so, the Lakers remain a legitimate contender—just as James wants.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Rich Paul told ESPN. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”
Despite the inconsistencies, the Lakers have won two straight games. Rui Hachimura emphasized that the team has shown every possible version of themselves.
“When we play good, like really good, we’re looking like a championship team … But when we’re not — we have a lot of time that we’re not — we look like we’re literally out of the playoffs team. … We kind of have to focus,” Hachimura told the media.
Hachimura and James are key parts of the Lakers organization, but there is widespread belief they may not be back next season.
“The Los Angeles Lakers will undergo a necessary transformation this offseason that will force them to let LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, and others go. Fans will be upset, but that is the price of having a superstar like Luka. The Lakers have to contend for the title, and the only way is to improve their supporting cast. All the pain will be worth it if the moves work, so the pressure is on the front office to make that a reality,” Lake Show Life’s Tyler Watts wrote.
This summer will be pivotal for the Lakers as they aim to build around Luka Doncic. The team plans to keep Austin Reaves, but the main focus will be assembling the right supporting pieces.
If the Lakers get it right around Doncic and Reaves, they will be a difficult team to stop. Letting Hachimura and James walk isn’t necessarily a negative—they don’t fit optimally alongside Doncic’s style of play.
