After a lot of talking about LeBron James’ future this offseason, Lakers President of Basketball Operation Rob Pelinka did his best to set the record straight on Saturday.
In an oddly fitting way, even on a day of celebration of the future with the Lakers and Luka Dončić, LeBron’s (admittedly loosening) grip on the franchise still was a topic of discussion.
On the first day he was eligible, Luka signed a three-year extension with the Lakers Saturday morning before taking part in a press conference alongside President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka in the afternoon.
While the vast, vast majority of the questions were related to Luka, it would be impossible not to talk about LeBron James in that setting. In a summer where he’s been a constant topic of discussion, Pelinka was naturally asked about where things stood between the two parties.
After discussing his “professional” and “open and constant” dialogue with Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, Pelinka discussed LeBron’s future with the franchise.
“In terms of LeBron’s career, I think the No. 1 thing we have to do there is respect he and his family’s decision in terms of how long he’s going to play,” Pelinka said. “I think that’s first and foremost. We want to respect his ability to come up with his timetable on that. I think that’s really important. But if he had a chance to retire a Laker, that would be great.”
Pelinka’s incredible ability to yap means this could be interpreted in about any way you want it to. In my opinion, that last sentence is the one that rings loudest and the franchise still wants him to retire as a Laker, a message that has been a constant throughout his tenure in SoCal.
But the rest of the quote does exist, too. Talking about wanting to respect LeBron’s timetable and his family’s decision definitely leaves open the door to a future where LeBron isn’t a Laker.
One of the messages that was apparent throughout Saturday’s presser, though, was that both Luka and Pelinka feel they have a team that can compete for a title. Considering that was one of the primary parts of the statement that came with LeBron opting into his contract, that does feel notable.
No matter what either side says at this point, this is simply going to need to be a story that plays out during the season. If the Lakers come out and look like a top team in the league, then LeBron may feel a different type of way. Similarly, if they struggle and don’t look like a contender, it could truly spell the end of their partnership.
Even with all that in mind, it sure sounds like the Lakers are open to LeBron retiring as a Laker…assuming it matches with everyone’s plans.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.