Among fans of the Los Angeles Lakers, there seems to be a split, where some want LeBron James to stick around, while others want him gone as soon as possible.
But as far as general manager Rob Pelinka is concerned, James is hugely central to the Lakers’ championship hopes, and he wants the four-time MVP to stick around for the remainder of his career.
The executive made that sentiment clear during a recent meeting with James and head coach Darvin Ham.
“Pelinka made his feelings clear that he wants James to retire as a Laker and promised to provide him with every resource possible to compete for a championship each year he’s with the organization, sources said,” wrote Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports.
James is now eligible to sign a contract extension with L.A., and the two sides have been talking to make such a deal happen. More and more observers believe that it is all but inevitable he will eventually sign an extension.
Unfortunately, the Lakers are presently constituted appear to be no better than a bottom-tier playoff team, and as long as James is around, nothing short of championship contention will likely satisfy his palate.
The team’s attempts to improve the roster this summer have gone nowhere, and with each day, it is looking increasingly likely that Russell Westbrook will still be on the roster when training camp opens.
If he avoids significant injuries, it looks like James has a lot left in his tank, even at age 37. He averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game this past season, and it wouldn’t be too surprising to see one or two more elite or near-elite campaigns from him.
