Lakers may need to move on from LeBron James to contend, says former NBA champion originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Former Los Angeles Lakers champion and head coach, Byron Scott, believes the team needs to move on from LeBron James to be a championship team.
On his podcast, Byron Scott’s Fast Break, he urged the Lakers to move on from the 41-year-old this summer if they want to truly compete for a title moving forward.
“You getting paid 50 million. You’re 41, 42, 43 years old, right? You got a three-headed monster like you’re talking about. The Lakers if you want to move on and be a championship team for the next five, six, seven years, you got to build around Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves,” Scott said. “You can’t do that if he’s still here. He’s 50 million. That comes off the cap. You can go get two really good basketball players. And young basketball players that can come in there and help.”
Lakers face major questions around LeBron James
The Lakers will have a ton of question marks this offseason, and one of them will certainly be around James. James’ future with the team and in the league is uncertain as he will soon complete his 23rd NBA season.
James is set to be an unrestricted free agent, and despite being 41, he could play for another handful of years if he wanted.
As for the Lakers, they could be of no use to James, especially if he is seeking a large sum of money. The Lakers are projected to have a significant salary cap space this offseason, and there is a chance they seek players who could be good fits around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
That will be the challenge for the Lakers this offseason: building a title-contending roster with players that complement Doncic and Reaves. Whether that includes James or not, that is unclear as the offseason looms.
The Lakers are set to have over $40 million in expiring contracts that will provide them with flexibility.
