“You want to keep the Lakers’ feet to the fire on potentially acquiring Kyrie” - Nick Wright believes LeBron James has no reason to re-sign with Los Angeles right now
LeBron James, who looks to have plenty of good basketball left, and the LA Lakers are hoping for a bounceback season after going a disappointing 33-49 in 2021-22.
But the next situation to monitor is that James will be an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season. On "What's Wright? With Nick Wright," the analyst said James shouldn't re-sign just yet.
"Maybe LeBron should re-sign with the Lakers, but there is no reason whatsoever for him to do it now. None," Wright said. "The reasons against him doing it now are fivefold. The only reason you sign an extension early is because in case of injury or talent or skill depreciation, you guarantee yourself the money.
"LeBron's got over a billion dollars. The financial security of it is meaningless to him. So, here's why you wouldn't want to do it. First of all, you want to keep the Lakers' feet to the fire on potentially acquiring Kyrie, potentially trying to win this year.
"Two, you want to see what, if for the third straight year, Anthony Davis gets hurt. ... Three, I like (new coach) Darvin Ham. There's a chance though Darvin Ham's a disaster. Who knows?"
For James, his 19th season was one in which the 37-year-old forward showed he can still play at an elite level. In 56 games, LeBron averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game while shooting 52.4%.
Can LeBron James and the LA Lakers bounce back?
The basketball world will be watching as the LA Lakers and LeBron James prepare for the upcoming season. As usual, James and the Lakers will be one of the hottest topics of conversation in the NBA. While the Lakers have some notable starpower, the looming free agency of their top superstar has become the elephant in the room.
Although it was a disappointing previous season, there's a chance the Lakers could bounce back. With James, who led the Lakers to the 2020 championship in the bubble, still able to be dominant, the Lakers could become a surprise team in the Western Conference this year.
@KingJamesLeBron getting ACTIVE with Bronny and Bryce at the Lakers facility 🔥 @KingJames https://t.co/c8ofLtIqiI
Time will tell if James and the Lakers can regroup and maintain their health for the upcoming season. For now, fans will have to wait to see about the future of the Lakers and James.