What's Next for the Lakers and LeBron James? Is Playing with Bronny Still a Factor?

Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

The immediate business ahead of the Lakers is deciding, or perhaps just finding the right time to announce, the future of Darvin Ham.

But while everyone waits on that—and the Lakers did in fact conduct exit interviews internally (and away from probing questions from media types)—one could certainly assume that major stakeholders were asked not just about Darvin, but more importantly what worked and what didn't this year, and what kind of coach they'd like to see next season.

That would include, at least in theory, LeBron James, whose own future in Los Angeles isn't exactly an open question, but isn't solidified, either. He is expected to opt out of his deal, and while a return to LA is what most expect and is unquestionably the most likely outcome, the contours of that future are very much unknown. Will LeBron demand three years at the max? A full no-trade clause?

Is there anything, really, he could ask for that the Lakers wouldn't give? After all, both parties are pretty much tied to each other, assuming LeBron wants to play on a competitive team in a city he likes and get paid what he feels he's worth. The Lakers, meanwhile, can't replace James with comparable talent, so it's either sign him to a deal he likes or blow up the roster and start over.

They're not going to do that.

Still, the parameters of the relationship might look a little different than anyone expected, because it's worth wondering if anyone thought it would last this long. We've all been having the Father Time conversation for a while now, and LeBron is still chugging along at an elite level. Is he the best player in the game? No, but is he still in that highest echelon? Yeah, probably. It's fair to ask, and LeBron seems to be doing just that, whether his body will be the thing that forces him to quit, as it is with most athletes. Instead, his will to play could be the first thing that goes.

Plus, the whole Bronny conversation has radically shifted, following the younger James' challenging year at USC.

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: What does the future hold for LeBron?

SEGMENT 2: Did anyone expect to be here?

SEGMENT 3: How the evolving Bronny situation impacts LBJ's decision.

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