Revealing the three major suspense of the Lakers: James Doncic has not confirmed to stay with the team? Who will be the new signing at centre?

On May 3, Beijing time, The Athletic and ESPN, two authoritative media, analyzed the Lakers' offseason, especially the three most important suspense secrets: James is still likely to leave the Los Angeles Lakers? Doncic's contract extension is not a foregone conclusion? Who will be the new reinforcement in the center forward position?

James has not locked the Lakers in the future

The Athletic reported last season that a source with knowledge of James' thoughts said he is expected to play two more NBA seasons, which will end in the 2025-2026 season.The simplest outcome for all parties is for him to exercise his player option for next season ($52.6 million) before the June 30 deadline and then retire.

If he makes that choice, the Lakers plan to spend an entire season celebrating James' extraordinary career, just as Kobe Bryant's farewell trip did in 2015-2016. And next season's NBA All-Star Game will be held in Los Angeles, and the timing is perfect. James' family and business connections in Los Angeles make the city extremely appealing to him off the field, and he is completely in control of his own destiny.

But if he wants to keep playing and wants the Lakers to offer a contract extension, then according to team sources, all the discussion will revolve around a familiar question: Is he still willing to play as a Lakers player?

Since James' arrival in 2018, his relationship with the team has been dependent on the answer to that question. If the answer is yes this time, there is room for further discussion; If it is negative, then the likelihood of him ending his career with other teams increases.

Only James himself knows what he thinks, and perhaps even he doesn't have a clear answer at the moment. But the fact that the Lakers are out in the first round is enough to show that they are still a long way from a real championship contender. What's more, the way the Lakers lost to the Timberwolves in Game 5 confirmed James' past concerns about the roster — which, according to league sources, still do.

To put it simply, if the Lakers had an interior player Redick trusted, the Timberwolves' Gobert wouldn't have been as demanding in Game 5 (27 points, 24 rebounds, 2 blocks). In that game, the Timberwolves shot a staggering 90.9 percent from inside the box. When James was asked at the postgame press conference about the team's lack of available centers that led to challenges in the frontcourt, he bluntly pointed out that the Lakers' struggles this season are undoubtedly due to this weakness in the roster.

"Well, no comment," James said with a laugh, "I wouldn't say that, because my brother Davis said he wanted something, and he left the next week, so I have no comment." I put it on every night and I give it my all, that's all that matters. ”

Around the same time, there was a buzz on social media about the Lakers' episode this season, and the 23-year-old Mark Williams posted a well-timed smile in response to the Lakers' controversial decision to cancel the trade in the first place.

So, would James consider going elsewhere to chase a fifth championship? When asked, neither league sources close to James nor team sources ruled out the possibility, and that was just before the knockout game that exposed so many problems.

James took the initiative to mention Davis in his post-game press conference, reminiscent of how close the two were before that unexpected breakup. The same goes for James' relationship with Mavericks point guard Irving. Irving watched from the sidelines in Game 5, and his interaction with James during the game caught the attention of TNT's broadcast cameras. The Athletic reported in February that Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison is expected to chase another star this summer, whether it's James or the Suns' Kevin Durant.

When asked about his future after Game 5, James admitted that he wasn't sure how long he wanted to play or even where he would continue to play.

"You don't know what the Lakers' roster will be like next season, except for those players who are under contract," James said. So I don't know what the lineup is going to look like or where I stand now. ”

However, if James returns to the Lakers, league sources say he is not expected to consider a pay cut as he did this time last year.Last summer, James took a pay cut of about $2.7 million to help the Lakers stay below the No. 2 lineup to maintain roster flexibility.

League sources confirmed that James had even considered a larger pay cut in order for the Lakers to sign an influential player in the free agent market, with his favorite targets including Harden, DeRozan, Klay Thompson and Valanciunas. But the Lakers ultimately failed to sign anyman, and James subsequently signed a contract close to the maximum salary.

"I think LeBron will have high expectations for the lineup," Pelinka said on Friday, "and we'll do everything we can to meet his requirements." ”

Doncic's contract extension is not a foregone conclusion

If the Lakers want to find some solace in their first-round loss, look back at how frustrating and frustrating the team found themselves in January. The combination of James and Davis seems to have hit the ceiling. Despite missing just five games between the two stars, the Lakers struggled to maintain their winning percentage (20-17 on Jan. 14).

There are also a lot of problems with the team's lineup. ESPN reported on Jan. 23 that James and Davis expressed concerns about the Lakers' ability to upgrade their roster before the Feb. 7 trade deadline. As The Athletic reported in early February, this public statement has sparked discontent within the team. Davis then publicly expressed his desire for the team to bring in a center forward so that he would no longer have to play the No. 5 position, which also caused internal dissatisfaction.

These "forced palace" behaviors continue the old problem for many years, and have previously caused headaches for the team's management。 Whenever the team doesn't perform as expected, and the roster reinforcements don't meet the needs of the stars before the trade deadline, they put pressure on management in a variety of ways.

The trade seems to have improved the situation, with the departure of 32-year-old Davis and the addition of 26-year-old Doncic. What's more, in the long run, the team's situation has improved dramatically – trading the injury-prone and older Davis for the more talented young star Doncic.

However, while the deal sparked a lot of buzz, with the Lakers widely praised for acquiring a superstar in his prime, and the Mavericks being criticized for trading Doncic for little return, butOne detail that is often overlooked in the discussion is that the Lakers did not receive any commitment to Doncic's contract extension at the time of the trade. Doncic has a $48.9 million player option for the 2026-27 season and is eligible for a contract extension starting Aug. 3.

For some, this may be just a technical detail, as Doncic is widely expected to sign a long-term extension with the Lakers sooner or later. But the Lakers have long understood that not all stars will choose to stick to it. In the summer of 2012, they traded for Howard from the Magic, only to have Howard move to the Rockets as a free agent a year later. As for the negotiations that led to the deal between the Lakers and the Mavericks, league and team sources revealed that the uncertain prospect of Doncic's contract extension was the main reason why the Lakers were able to retain their 2031 first-round pick (Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick sent to Dallas).

All of this shows that Doncic's attitude and his next decision are crucial.

While league and team sources say the parties have enjoyed working together and the Lakers have done everything they can to make it clear to Doncic that they want him to lead the team into a new era, it's unclear how the five-time All-Star will handle contract issues. Although he told ESPN before the playoffs that he wanted to stay with the Lakers, there was no peace of mind on the team until a contract extension was actually finalized.

Based on Doncic's personal wishes, he has several options for a contract extension.Starting Aug. 3, he could sign a four-year, $229 million contract extension based on salary cap projections, and to make up for the loss of super-cap eligibility in the deal, he also had the option of a shorter, three-year, $165 million contract extension, with a player option for the 2028-29 season, at which point he would meet his 10-year playing age and be eligible to sign a 35% salary cap contract, which would allow him to sign a five-year, $418 million contract in the 2028 offseason.

Doncic also has the option to complete his current contract, jump out of his contract at the end of the 2025-26 season, and then sign a five-year, $296 million extension with the Lakers, or join another team and sign a four-year, $219 million contract.According to team sources, the Lakers will accept whatever contract structure Doncic wants.

Sources close to Doncic said he would carefully consider his decision. Being traded to the Lakers, Doncic was saddened both publicly and privately. He once said he wanted to retire in Dallas. However, this failure is not all bad, and there is a hint of solace in it. A source close to Doncic told ESPN: "For Luka, he feels like he's needed here. ”

Sources say that since Doncic came to Los Angeles, James has worked hard to support him and will not interfere with his decisions. "No, that's not my job," James told ESPN, "I think...... No, I'm sure Luca knows what I think of him. At the end of the day, that deal was for the future of the team, not for me. Luka had to decide for himself what his future path would be. He's only 26 years old, I'm 40 years old, and it's a fact that he can't base his career plan on me. But obviously, I hope he stays here for a long time. The Lakers fans loved him to death, and Los Angeles embraced him, and we all loved him as teammates and brothers. But in the end, he had to make a decision for himself. After all, I don't have much time to play. ”

The Lakers have made it clear that they want to work with Doncic for the long term. "I think Luka Doncic's arrival with the Los Angeles Lakers is a major event in NBA history," Pelinka said at Doncic's signing press conference. But before August arrives, the Lakers have one more important task: to paint a vision of the team and convince Doncic that this year's first-round exit was an accident and a not-so-smooth start to their long and hopeful journey together.

Which center will the Lakers bring in?

When Doncic and Pelinka met after the trade, Doncic said he enjoyed working with players who threatened from the air — as he did with Drake Lively II and Daniel Gafford in Dallas — and said it was key to unleashing his offensive potential.

"Before the trade deadline, I'll try to see if I can find a player like that," Pelinka recalled a conversation with Doncic in the office after the trade, "and if it doesn't work, we'll fix it this summer." ”

In a show of sincerity and determination to work with Doncic, the Lakers traded for Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams on Feb. 5, but the deal was canceled a few days later due to concerns about Williams' medical results.

The Lakers' salary space constraints make it difficult to bring in a center, either through a trade to acquire a target player or to take advantage of the mid-range exception (with an expected starting salary of $5.7 million) to sign.But Pelinka's signings last season revealed the direction of his goals.

The Lakers have previously been rumored to have scandals with a number of players, includingKessler for the Jazz, Myles Turner for the Pacers, Claxton for the Nets, Adams for the Rockets, Capela for the Hawks, and Robert Williams for the Trail Blazers。 The Bucks' interior playerBrooke LópezHe will be a free agent this summer and could be one of the options for the Lakers, who have also played for them in his previous career. Turner is widely regarded as the best center on the free market, but unless the Lakers can perform "magic" to free up a lot of salary space, Turner is likely to be out of their budget.

"From the point of view of the quality of a centre-forward, it would be great to have a player who is a threat from the air, who can play in the air, and who can protect the interior on the defensive end," Pelinka said. However, there are many types of centers in the league that can play an important role, and there are also space centers who can protect the basket, and we will consider those types of players as well. ”