The Los Angeles Lakers' season ended with a dull thud — a five-game first-round loss at the hands of a scrappy, physical Minnesota Timberwolves team.
Anthony Edwards announced himself (again) as one of our great modern stars and a bonafide playoffs riser. Luka Dončić, on the other hand, fell flat in his first postseason run with the Lakers. After an unthinkable trade deadline relocation, Dončić played into all the negative stereotypes his former organization so shamelessly espoused: He was lazy on defense, tired late in games and far too metronomic in his approach. He had a game with one assist and a game with two assists during the series, which is virtually unheard of.
Was it a good trade for the Mavs after all? Of course not. But Dončić was disappointing. After such an impressive NBA Finals run a year ago, he did not look ready to lead L.A. deep into the summer. This was never a one-year investment, and the Lakers' problems extended well beyond Dončić. Still, it's hard not to feel like this was a missed opportunity. LeBron is 40; JJ Redick has been a great coach for the majority of the season. We are just used to Dončić elevating those around him more profoundly.
Now he reaches an important contractual crossroads. Both Dončić and the Lakers have some decisions to make. The hope in L.A. is that Dončić finishes his career there, but if he does, it won't be because LeBron whispered in his co-star's ear.
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LeBron James refuses to help Lakers convince Luka Dončić to stick around
Dončić is eligible to sign a four-year, $228.6 million extension in August. He also has a chance to pull off the two-plus-one strategy, essentially tacking on one extra year to his current deal with an opt-out for the second additional year, which sets up a five-year, $418 million (that's a real number) extension in 2028.
This is a fascinating juncture in Dončić's career. He just got to L.A., with a team he never really wanted to play for. The 26-year-old has said he plans to spend the rest of his career with the Lakers, but his connection to L.A. is skin-deep compared to his bond with Dallas. There is also the matter of conditioning and these vague long-term health concerns the Mavs were so pressed about. Is Dončić confident enough in his own body to kick the can down the road, or might he want to line up a four-year max extension as soon as possible?
Whichever way he decides to go, don't expect LeBron James to be offering his council. The four-time champ has no plans to court Dončić on the Lakers' behalf.
"No, that ain't my job (to convince Dončić to re-sign)," James told ESPN. "I think ... I don't think, I know, Luka knows how I feel about him. And ultimately, that trade happened for the future. That's not for me. Luka has to decide what he has to do with his future. He's (26) years old, I'm 40, so he can't be basing his career off me. That's just real."
Probably not the preferred response in Lakerland, but an admirable stance from James — and the sort of attitude we see most superstars assuming nowadays. We are in the golden era of player empowerment. There is a genuine focus on players making the best decisions for themselves and their families, whether it's rooted in money, location or some other preference.
Also, as James went on to say outright, he won't be around for much longer. The Lakers shifted their timeline forward when the Dončić trade went down. It's not really his business what happens four or five years from now.
Still, LeBron does want to see Dončić in L.A. long term. Just don't expect him to beat the drum in Luka's ear.
"But I hope, obviously, (he stays long term)," James said. "Laker fans f---ing love him here. L.A. has accepted him. We love him as a teammate, as a brother. But ultimately, he's got to make a decision for him. S---, I ain't going to be around much longer."
This will be an uncomfortable offseason for the Lakers after such a dispiriting series, but the future remains bright so long as Dončić is wearing purple and gold. Based on his own comments in the past, it's hard to imagine the notoriously loyal Dončić leaving of his own accord.