The pressure is on, Lakers! Keep the options of the franchise (including trading Lebron James)

Rich Paul shot the first blow of the Lakers offseason on Sunday. “We want to evaluate what is best for Lebron at this stage of his life and career,” said Klutch Sports CEO in a story that announced that Lebron James has collected his option from $ 52.6 million on Sunday. “He wants to do every season that has left the count.”

This is Klutch’s playbook: apply pressure. What if the Lakers don’t go all-in? Lebron Walks. He did it in Miami. He did it in Cleveland twice. After seven years, he could do it again in Los Angeles.

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But Paul is right. Lebron is still one of the top 10 players. Top 15 in the worst case. Luka Dončić turns 27 next season and looks fit this summer. Maybe this year he will keep the pounds away. He was in a final of the NBA, two western finals, and this could be his MVP season. Becoming public, Paul was not just talking to Lebron: he did a favor to Luka by putting pressure on Jeanie Buss and Rob Pelinka.

Even if Luka is still young, the front office should try a sense of urgency. The windows close quickly. The former do not always last. And the Lakers have not really gone all-in once from the 2019-2020 season, losing free key agents over the years and bypassing the possibilities of transforming future sections of drafts into players who can help now. Even when Luka signs his extension of the maximum contract this summer, who knows if his patience would have lasted up to that of Lebron. If those guys are in your building, why should you enter another race with Jaxson Hayes as a starting center?

The offseason started though. The leaders of the League think that Dorian Finney-Smith will leave, probably in Houston for more money and years. The good news: that frees the Lakers to use their medium -level exceptions not 14.1 million dollars taxpayer. Bad news: doing so hard in the first apron ($ 195.9 million) and this class of free agents is weak.

Lakers trade objectives?

The class of free agents obtained a shock when Portland bought Deandre Ayton, who shares an agent with Luka. Lakers should show interest. But the trail Blazers gave up Ayton for the same reason why Phoenix wanted to exchange it: he is shaky. Why would this change in Los Angeles? The veterane options in the center include Brook Lopez or Clint Capela. But the Lakers don’t need to use $ 14.1 million on a single player; They could divide the MLE to chase more guys. Let’s say, $ 8 million for Lopez, then $ 6.1 million for a non-Big like Bruce Brown or Larry Nance Jr.

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In the end, the greatest producers of differences would come through trade. Let’s take a look at the assets of Los Angeles and who could be a target:

Austin Reaves: Lakers must stop dealing with reacts like an untouchable corner stone. He is a good scorer, but his skill set is quite redundant in a list with Lebron and Luka. Even with only Luka, neither is defensive. Reaves can also become a free agent without restrictions in 2026, so his great money deal is approaching.

Dalton Knecht: He could also have value to enter his second season.

Expiring contracts: Gabe Vincent ($ 11.5 million), Maxi Kleber ($ 11 million) and Jordan Goodwin ($ 2.4 million) are on the occasion of expiring agreements and are totally sacrificable. If DFS leaves, it becomes more difficult to separate from Rui Hachimura ($ 18.3 million), but it is not necessarily a custodian.

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Picks Draft: Lakers can also exchange a choice of the first round in 2031 or 2032 and exchange up to four first in 2026, 2028, 2030 and 2031 or 2032. They only have the choice of the second round in 2032.

With their assets, the Lakers need more athletic markers and defensive tones that could be the modern versions of Alex Caruso and Kentavous Caldwell-Pope. Some realistic commercial target options include:

Bigs: Walker Kessler, Isaiah Stewart, Yves Mission

After you: Herb Jones, Miles Bridges, Jerami Grant

Guards: Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, Devin Carter

If the Lakers signed a center in the free agency, he would not necessarily prevent them from targeting another. Having more big more would be vital to have the training of training, giving coach head JJ Radick the possibility of playing with only one or two big names according to the situation. It is a necessity in the modern NBA. Unless, of course, the Lakers do not see Lebron as part of that image.

Exchange Lebron?

Perhaps Lebron is the conflict of the temporal sequence. Luka does not need tutoring. It doesn’t need to share touches. What he needs is a flexible list with defenders, decision makers and shooters. It is difficult to build when Lebron is the most paid player and still big enough to receive a central role. If the Lakers believe that Lebron confuses Luka’s path, a clean break begins to make sense.

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If Lebron decides that it is in his interest to go on, the Lakers could extract value from a team. It has a clause without trade, so it can reduce the market. But unless a purchase is coming, any agreement for him still requires a salary to return, which means that the Lakers would get something useful in return.

Well, perhaps. Let’s take a look at five teams that could theoretically want Lebron and the type of salaries to which they should have given up to acquire it:

Cleveland Cavaliers: Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and Max Strus

An agreement between Cavaliers and Lakers would be extremely difficult since Cleveland is a second team of apron, which means that the front office cannot aggregate salaries without moving under the second apron. A third and perhaps a fourth team should be involved.

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In addition, despite Cleveland’s clear holes, we are sure that Garland and Allen give, both in their mid-nikola Jokić 20s, since old Lebron is in their interest? Or should Cavs look for changes elsewhere?

New York Knicks: OG ANUNOBY, JOSH HART, Miles McBride

There are also tons of other combinations that work. The Knicks could also give up Karl-Anthony Towns, which would be the cleanest possible trade. Instead of OG, Mikal bridges and smaller salaries could be sent.

But the Knicks hope for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Does it really make sense to skip their salaries and resources on a 40 -year -old Lebron?

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Dallas Mavericks: Daniel Gafford, PJ Washington, Cody Martin, Jaden Hardy

A lot of combo would work including those with Klay Thompson. But it would be easy to see the appeal for Lebron to team up again with Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving. Then again, what happens if half of the rotation disappeared? With Irving out to the middle of the season, there is a lot of risk for both him and Dallas.

Denver Nuggets: Michael Porter Jr., Zeke Nnaji, Dario Saric, Julian Strawter

Nikola Jokić and Lebron who collaborate could lead to a rather beautiful basketball. And Lebron is a clear update for Nuggets without sacrificing other basic pieces. Between Mpj, Nnaji and Saric, they would actually give up three of their worst contracts. This would really make sense if Lebron wanted to carry out perhaps the last season of his career in Denver.

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Golden State Warriors: Jimmy Butler

A trade is no longer easier than this. These salaries correspond perfectly. And James would be an important update on Butler, since he brings some of the same qualities as a defender but he is a far superior marker.

Butler is a bad fit with Luka, so maybe the Lakers would like to turn it elsewhere elsewhere. Who might want it? Phoenix. So a mega trade involving rockets and the only one could always have a reasonable sense with Lebron and Bronny to Golden State, Butler in Phoenix, Kevin Durant in Houston and Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks in Los Angeles.

Perhaps these exchanges are a silly exercise. After Paul made his statement on Sunday, all the speeches around the NBA were that Lebron is fishing for a Los Angeles buyout. This is because most of the teams would not want to sell off their lists for a 40 -year -old who probably enters the last season of his career. If you got there, the Lakers could obviously say: why did you opt if you want to leave? Why wouldn’t you have just taken a discount if you wanted to improve the roster? Or they could only say: of course, thanks for the memories, you are free to go. And if this happens, a long list of teams would be aligned hoping to sign it.

Maybe Lebron remains and Lakers run back with a patchated bench. But Rich Paul did not go to the album only for Chit-Chat. Gave the tone. And if Lebron remains or goes, the Lakers must stop pretending that this list makes sense. They built a brand chasing stars. Now they have two and have no idea what to do with them.