3 offseason questions the Los Angeles Lakers need to answer

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Apr 7, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) looks on from the bench during the first quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Future of LeBron James

The time has come for the final year of LeBron James’ contract which cashes out for $44.4 million next season. Though this may not have been how James wanted the season to end, he finished out this year being one of the Lakers’ top scorers and an overall All-NBA-caliber player.

James is arguably still one of the best players the league has seen and has played a tremendous role in the Lakers’ success. But James has only played in two-thirds of the games in the last two years since the 2020 championship. With his physical health slowly declining, the Lakers have to make a decision about James’ future with the team.

A trade is always on the table and the Lakers need to at least consider it but it seems highly unlikely. The best option for Lakers management is finding the middle ground, keeping James on the roster for as long as he can play while doing the most they can with the salary cap. This means the Lakers need to recruit star players that can play with James and might be willing to play for a discount, which may be difficult, but is not impossible.

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