LeBron James Not at Peace With Lakers Rift as True Feelings About LA Future Surface, Per Insider

By now, it seems to be definitive that LeBron James won’t part with the Los Angeles Lakers. However, there’s still a disturbing aftertaste to the situation. The Akron Hammer’s agent, Rich Paul’s statement suggested they are assessing options for the future as the Purple and Gold focus on the future. Hence, for now, it seems imminent that James will leave the Lakers at some point.

But is that true? Locked on Lakers’ Andy Kamenetzky isn’t a believer. Of course, the Lakers provided some reassurance on their part. The moves for Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton have addressed some of the pressing issues that existed last season.

Yet, Kamenetzky doesn’t feel like that impacted James’ decision in any way. He feels “LeBron clearly doesn’t want to leave LA,”. Had he wanted to, there were opportunities in the past, such as when the Warriors came knocking on the Lakers’ doors. Rather, Kamenetzky feels the tense situation is built because of the Lakers and LeBron James’ reputations.

“The Lakers, if we’re being honest, they’ve they are always something of a dramatic team. Like this is a franchise that is always connected to some degree of drama if for no other reason that everyone’s always paying attention to them. So, anything that happens is treated as like a five alarm fire or an emergency…  And LeBron is somebody that has always both commanded and frankly demanded a lot of attention. So you put those elements together and a perception that I think is understandable that LeBron is not completely at peace with his relationship with the Lakers right now,” he said on the LakeShow podcast.

There does seem to be some unrest. Many felt his not being present for Doncic’s extension was a sign. He did manage to FaceTime his Slovenian teammate, but having shown up for previous announcements, including JJ Redick’s, James might not be at complete peace. But what matters to the Lakers is his allegiance in the present.

Although Paul’s statement hinted at them focusing on the future, having LeBron James is the platform for winning. Hence, that’s the expectation.

A season to determine LeBron James’ future

The Lakers didn’t have a bad season by any measure. At least in the regular season, they won 50 games and ended as the third seed. The playoffs were where their performance was underwhelming. But despite these results, Kamenetzky still thinks Los Angeles is the best destination for LeBron James.

“I just think at the end of the day, there’s really nowhere for LeBron to go easily that is better than where he is right now. A team that won 50 games, one of the few players in the league, Luka, that’s actually better than him to be one of his teammates. LeBron clearly doesn’t want to leave LA,” he said on the show.

According to him, his decision will come down to this season. “Hey, I look, if things go sideways this season, could I see LeBron asking out? Sure,” he claims. And in many ways, that is indeed true.

Entering Year 23, for the King, each season is an attempt to capture an NBA championship. Playing with his son, Bronny is an enticing opportunity and one he ranks highest. But there’s a milestone to be reached that ultimately drives James to still keep playing.

The Lakers have assembled an improved roster from last season. Ayton isn’t a renowned shot blocker, but his size and presence are expected to solve the Lakers’ rebounding woes. Moreover, Smart’s addition gives them a ball hawk who can also mentor an in-shape Luka Doncic to improve on the defensive end.

The target for the Lakers is to continue building on their foundation, which is now Doncic. For LeBron James, competing for championships is what matters. So if that expectation isn’t met, the Akron Hammer could look for another home. But for right now, Andy Kamenetzky isn’t panicking. “There’s no reason to anticipate things going sideways,” he says.

Do you think the Lakers can meet LeBron James’ expectations this season? Let us know your views in the comments below.