On Wednesday, Los Angeles Lakers insider Jovan Buha offered some information about what the future may hold for LeBron James.
The update is good news for Lakers fans, as it sounds like the overwhelming likelihood is that James will return in the 2023-24 campaign.
“Based on conversations I’ve had over the past week or so, I’d say there’s about a 10 percent chance LeBron James isn’t back as a Laker next season, either due to retirement or playing for another team,” Buha wrote for The Athletic. “Everyone with and around the team I’ve spoken to believes he’s returning.”
Talk of James’ potential retirement began after the Lakers were eliminated from the 2023 NBA Playoffs. The development caught many by surprise. Fortunately, chances are good that fans don’t need to prepare for a post-James NBA just yet.
“The Lakers are approaching this offseason as if he’ll be a part of the 2023-24 squad,” Buha wrote.
Los Angeles’ 2022-23 season turned into a mixed bag when all was said and done. The team did an admirable job of turning things around after a miserable start, reaching the Western Conference Finals thanks to a couple of impressive showings in the first and second round of the playoffs.
Unfortunately, L.A.’s title hopes crashed when the team ran into the Denver Nuggets, who will soon compete for the 2023 title. The end of the Lakers’ season had to be frustrating for James, who went through a lot just to be on the floor.
The 19-time All-Star finished the 2022-23 regular season with averages of 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game. In the playoffs, he averaged 24.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game.
There were times this season when James didn’t play like his best self. Some have argued about whether that was due to his age or the simple fact that he wasn’t at 100 percent.
Regardless, the future Hall of Famer is still a crucial piece of L.A.’s puzzle moving forward. If the team wants to contend for a title in the 2023-24 season, it’s going to need James to be along for the ride.
The Lakers are also going to need to do some work around the edges of their roster, and it seems like they’re already getting their offseason agenda in order. For more reasons than one, it’s going to be an important summer for the organization.
