Los Angeles Lakers

LeBron James and his agent Rich Paul reportedly met with Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and head coach Darvin Ham last week to discuss the direction of the team ahead of the 2022-23 season.

According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, the majority of the meeting "was about expressing concerns, and hearing out strategies and opinions to assure there wouldn't be a repeat of last season's epic failure."

James is eligible for a two-year, $97.1 million extension this offseason. While some time was spent on contract talks, Haynes noted that the 37-year-old was more focused on figuring out how to ensure the Lakers compete for a title this season.

"James, sources said, drilled home the importance of consistent competitiveness and cohesion, noting that last season's team didn't give themselves a chance on many nights," Haynes wrote.

The Lakers went 33-49 in 2021-22 and failed to make the playoffs. The team struggled with chemistry and effort issues, as well as injuries. While James is hoping to avoid a repeat of last season, his new head coach appears to be on the same page.

Ham, who was hired to replace Frank Vogel after his firing, "agreed with James and reiterated that his main objectives are to hold everyone accountable and foster an atmosphere of selflessness," per Haynes. The former Milwaukee Bucks assistant "voiced that defensive tenacity needs to be picked up all across the roster," and he also indicated that he won't hesitate to move players into new roles or out of the lineup if they don't buy into the new strategy.

Haynes added that Ham said he intends to run the team's offense through power forward Anthony Davis, to which James agreed. Davis was limited to 40 games last season after dealing with multiple injuries, but the team reportedly is encouraged by his progress this offseason.

Los Angeles is also looking for improvement from Russell Westbrook, as Haynes noted "the team is also hopeful for a corner-three shooting percentage bump" from the star point guard this season.

In the end, the meeting was "deemed productive and informative." But it remains to be seen if it will translate to success on the court.

When the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Anthony Davis, it was assumed he would lead the franchise in a post-LeBron James world.

That may no longer be the case.

Sean Deveney of Heavy reported some in the Lakers front office would prefer to explore Davis' trade value when James exits the franchise.

“A lot of that depends on where LeBron winds up. If he stays in Los Angeles and he stays a Laker, he had a lot personally invested in AD being there, so, yes, in that case, Davis stays. But it is not a sure thing," a league executive told Deveney. "There are some in that organization who would not mind seeing what they can bring back for AD, but they would not do it with LeBron there. You get to 2024, though, and maybe things change.

"The Lakers have AD for two more years for sure, and they can only hope he stays healthy. But after that, they have to think, is this guy really our future? He can’t stay on the floor. And he has to think, do I want to be here without LeBron? That’s why the Lakers do not want to give up those future picks."

Davis is under contract through at least the 2023-24 season. His five-year, $190 million contract includes a player option for the 2024-25 campaign, and it would make sense for him to opt out with eyes on a new max contract that would pay him well north of $50 million annually.

On the flip side, it would make some level of sense for the Lakers to explore their options once James exits the franchise. The Lakers have zero viable assets outside Davis. Their roster was a cast of misfit veterans last season, and there is no young player on their roster with anything close to All-Star potential.

There's also likely little help coming from the draft, with the New Orleans Pelicans controlling their picks for at least the next two seasons. New Orleans has swap rights in 2023 and can choose between the Lakers' 2024 and 2025 first-round picks to satisfy terms of the Davis deal.

When James leaves, the Lakers' roster will likely be a barren wasteland consisting only of Davis. It could behoove the team to move on and start a full-scale rebuild by 2024.

Davis has proven himself an unreliable heir to the throne, missing more games than he's played over the past two seasons as the Lakers floundered following their 2020 championship. The Lakers acquired Davis at his absolute apex value and are carrying him on their roster as he's hitting a nadir.

It's possible a healthy Davis re-emerges as an All-NBA superstar, but little of what we've seen the last two years suggests he's the generational building block the Lakers hoped.

LeBron James learned the hard way that you shouldn't joke around when your wife is discussing important things.

The Los Angeles Lakers star posted a video to Instagram that ended with his wife, Savannah James, smacking the phone out of his hands:

Savannah asked LeBron about their vow renewal, but the basketball star was more interested in showing off his new outfit. The sweatsuit featured his personal logo and a breakdown of his playing career by teams and years.

While Savannah first responded to the video with an eye roll, she later smacked the phone when she realized he was still recording.

The lesson is to listen to your wife, especially in the offseason when there are no other excuses.

The NBA draft is long over and the height of free agency has passed, but a few remaining items must be ironed out on the Association's 2022 offseason front.

Namely, there's still the question of where Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook, who has been the subject of trade rumors for months, will be playing next season.

That's still unclear, but a report by Jovan Buha of The Athletic indicated a potential timeline:

"Now, to the second question, there will come a time in which the Lakers have to decide if they’re willing to continue to play hardball and risk missing their window to trade Westbrook. There is a sense among some that training camp is a soft deadline to move Westbrook. If he’s on the roster in late September, there will be a massive off-court distraction, with the media asking about his future, his relationship with [LeBron] James and the organization, [new head coach Darvin] Ham’s vision of his role and responsibilities."

Westbrook, who exercised his $47.1 million player option for the 2022-23 season, averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game in his first year with L.A.

According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Lakers, Utah Jazz and New York Knicks discussed a three-team trade that would have involved Westbrook.

Notably, Westbrook would have gone to the Jazz, who would have bought out the remainder of his contract. Star Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell would have gone to the Knicks, among other player and pick movements. The Lakers and Knicks would have needed to give up some draft capital to Utah in the move as well.

That obviously never happened, and now training camp is just one month away.

Westbrook, who was also connected to the Brooklyn Nets in trade talks involving guard Kyrie Irving, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, is still a Laker. If he does stick in town, he'll try to help the Lakers rebound from a bitterly disappointing 33-49 season two years removed from an NBA title.

Injuries to stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis left L.A. short-handed, and the team rotated through a bunch of different lineups as the Lakers were unable to form much chemistry. Better health and a full offseason together could certainly help bring about brighter days in L.A., though, even if Westbrook is coming off a down year.

He's still two years removed from averaging a triple-double with the Washington Wizards and can certainly resemble something closer to that form in 2022-23.

The regular season will open on Oct. 19.

LeBron James is eligible to sign a contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers, and there is optimism that the two sides will strike a deal to keep him in purple and gold for at least a few more years.

"All signs point toward both sides looking to extend their partnership together," ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported Friday on NBA Today. "It's already led to one championship in 2020. It's also led to two playoff appearances where they didn't make it, but overall I think both sides recognize that they can help one another get to their mutual goal, which is to compete at a high level and stay relevant as both one of the best players in the NBA and one of the most marquee franchises in the NBA."

James is entering the final year of his contract with the Lakers in 2022-23 and is eligible to sign a two-year, $97.1 million extension that would keep him in L.A. through the 2024-25 season.

The four-time NBA champion will be 38 by the time his current deal expires. Under the NBA's collective bargaining agreement, any player 38 or older is only eligible to sign a two-year contract.

James' agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, told McMenamin that the two sides had a "productive" discussion together Thursday. They met with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and new head coach Darvin Ham.

Thursday was the first day James was eligible to sign an extension. He has until June 30, 2023, to put pen to paper on a new deal before he becomes a free agent.

Regardless of how his potential extension turns out, James has said he wants to play with his oldest son, Bronny, in the NBA before retiring. Bronny will enter his senior year of high school this fall and is eligible for the 2024 NBA draft.

"My last year will be played with my son," James said in an interview with The Athletic's Jason Lloyd in February. "Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point."

James, who is entering his fifth season with the Lakers, showed no signs of slowing down during the 2021-22 campaign despite the Purple and Gold missing the playoffs. He averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 56 games while shooting 52.4 percent from the floor and 35.9 percent from deep.

The 18-time All-Star is expected to play just as well in 2022-23, though he'll hope his efforts pay off with a berth in the playoffs and another NBA title.

As the Los Angeles Lakers continue to figure out what they want to do with Russell Westbrook, they are also keeping an eye on New York Knicks forward Cam Reddish in a potential trade.

Per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.com, the Lakers have had interest in the 22-year-old dating back to last season, and he "could" become part of a trade at some point.

Scotto noted the Lakers, Knicks and Utah Jazz discussed a potential three-team trade a few weeks ago that would have sent Westbrook to Utah, Donovan Mitchell to New York and a combination of two players going to Los Angeles.

Reddish wasn't mentioned among the list of potential players the Lakers would have received, but Scotto reported in February they did talk about him in a different three-team swap with the Knicks and Toronto Raptors leading up to the trade deadline.

There doesn't appear to be any significant movement on a potential Westbrook trade at this point.

B/R's Eric Pincus noted on Thursday that the Lakers might be more inclined to use future draft capital and/or take on unwanted salary in a Westbrook deal if they can get LeBron James to sign an extension.

Thursday marked the first day James was eligible to sign a two-year, $97 million extension with the Lakers. Rich Paul, James' agent, told ESPN's Dave McMenamin the two sides had "productive" talks about their future together, but no deal has been agreed upon yet.

If the Knicks do move Reddish, it would seem to indicate they aren't going to move RJ Barrett.

When Barrett's name was floated in a potential Donovan Mitchell trade package last month, SNY's Ian Begley reported the Knicks have "no interest" in trading the 22-year-old.

New York acquired Reddish from the Atlanta Hawks in January. The former No. 10 pick struggled after the move, averaging 6.1 points per game on 41.5 percent shooting in 15 appearances.

A right shoulder injury prematurely ended Reddish's 2021-22 season in March, but it didn't require surgery.

Reddish is an intriguing buy-low candidate if the Knicks decide to move him. The Duke product showed signs of improvement with the Hawks last season prior to being traded. He averaged 11.9 points per game on 37.9 percent three-point shooting in 34 games.

The Lakers can certainly use more depth at small forward behind James. Talen Horton-Tucker had a disappointing 2021-22 campaign, the first season of his three-year, $30.8 million contract extension. He's currently projected to be the backup to James next season.

LeBron James is now eligible for a contract extension, and he and the Los Angeles Lakers apparently got off on the right foot Thursday.

Rich Paul, who is James' representative with Klutch Sports, said contract discussions between the two sides were "productive" and will be ongoing after he and James met with Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

James' current contract is set to expire after the 2022-23 season, and his long-term status figures to be one of the most intriguing storylines of the entire league until he signs a new deal.

Perhaps complicating things from the Lakers' perspective is James' repeated insistence that he wants to play with his son, Bronny. Bronny will be eligible for the 2024 NBA draft, so James signing a long-term deal with Los Angeles or anywhere else before that would complicate his efforts to team up with his son.

There is also an age factor, as James turns 38 years old in December.

He has shown few signs of slowing down when he is on the court, but he played just 56 games last season, 45 games in 2020-21 and 55 games in 2018-19. The wear-and-tear on his body after such a long career with numerous deep playoff runs is a storyline worth monitoring even if he seems to defy age when he is on the floor.

The 18-time All-Star averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per game last season and likely would have been included in the MVP discussion if he played more games or if the 33-49 Lakers were better.

As the roster currently stands, Los Angeles will look largely the same with James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook as the featured pieces next season. It is difficult to imagine it going from out of the playoffs altogether to winning a title without significant improvements, so James may also look elsewhere to improve his chances at a fifth ring on his next deal.

The Lakers can at least take solace knowing that the discussions have been "productive" to this point, but there are plenty of factors in play that could determine where James ends up next.

LeBron James is eligible to sign a two-year, $97.1 million contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, and the expectation is he will sign a new deal "in some form," per Kurt Helin of NBC Sports.

"LeBron does not give off the vibe of a guy looking to bolt Los Angeles," Helin noted.

Helin reported those around the league expect James to sign a "1+1 deal," which locks him in through the 2023-24 season while adding a player option for 2024-25. Without a new contract, the superstar would become a free agent in 2023.

Flexibility could be important for James, especially after the Lakers' struggles over the past year. The squad finished 33-49 and fell short of the play-in tournament.

While the team is hoping a healthy LeBron and Anthony Davis are enough to get back into title contention, the Lakers have otherwise made few impact moves this offseason.

The 37-year-old could also want to keep his options open in 2024 when his son, Bronny James, is eligible for the NBA draft.

"My last year will be played with my son," James told Jason Lloyd of The Athletic in February. "Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point."

James later confirmed the plan in May on Twitter.

If he is a free agent that offseason, the 18-time All-Star could just wait to see where Bronny lands and sign there. Considering the Lakers don't have a first-round draft pick that year, it might be difficult to pull off the package deal.

James is still seemingly content to stay with the Lakers, at least for another two seasons. Helin reported "his family is comfortable in Los Angeles," while Joe Vardon of The Athletic previously reported "the people closest to him said he was happy in Los Angeles."

It adds up to a likely extension this summer.

The Golden State Warriors' Draymond Green and Washington Wizards' Kyle Kuzma said Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves should embrace the "Hillbilly Kobe" nickname.

Kuzma said Thursday on The Draymond Green Show he thinks the moniker is "lit" and the four-time NBA champion agreed.

"You better embrace that one," Green said (around the 8:30 mark). "You kidding me? Any Kobe—Hillbilly Kobe? You should be running with that. By the way, if I'm him and they're calling me Hillbilly Kobe, I'm trying to be in the next White Men Can't Jump. I'm trying to really run with that."

The conversation comes after Reaves said in July he'd try to distance himself from two nicknames that emerged last season, with the other being "AR-15."

"I don't condone any gun violence that happens around our country," Reaves told ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "But you can't really control what [nickname] people give you. I mean, I didn't come out and say my name was that. There's been others, like the 'Hillbilly Kobe,' that probably aren't the best thing in the situation that's going on, with Kobe's passing."

The second-year guard added he's "open to new ideas" from Lakers fans.

Reaves, who was assigned No. 15 after wearing No. 12 in college with Wichita State and Oklahoma, was one of the bright spots of an otherwise forgettable 2021-22 season for L.A., which missed the playoffs with a 33-49 record.

The 24-year-old Arkansas native averaged 7.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 61 games while playing some terrific wing defense—he ranked in a tie for 12th among shooting guards in FiveThirtyEight's defensive RAPTOR metric (plus-1.7).

It's unclear whether he's willing to change his stance on Hillbilly Kobe, but he's slated to once again play a key depth role for the Lakers heading into the 2022-23 season.