Lakers Rumors: Latest Buzz Surrounding Los Angeles’ Offseason Plans

Lakers Rumors: Latest Buzz Surrounding Los Angeles’ Offseason Plans0 of 3

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Another disappointing season in Los Angeles left Lakers fans questioning what the future holds for the team.

Does LeBron James come back?

Who will the team find to coach a squad that underperformed in 2023-24?

What will the roster look like when the 2024-25 season tips off?

Thanks to industry insiders, there are some answers to those pressing questions.

Find out what the future may hold for the Lakers as they continue to pursue an NBA title and restore the championship pedigree to one of the most storied franchises in the game’s rich history with this collection of rumors and innuendo.

Latest on the Head Coach Search1 of 3

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Despite previous reports that Ty Lue and Jason Kidd were among potential candidates to join the Lakers as the team’s next head coach, do not expect either to be available for the job.

Marc Stein reported that Lue and Kidd have another year left on their deals and that the Clippers and Mavericks would like to work out extensions with them, respectively.

Lue and Kidd are fresh off a six-game series that saw the latter get the best of his peer as the Mavs advanced to the Western Conference semifinals and a date with the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder.

Lue previously coached LeBron James during his second stint in Cleveland, where the coach and his star player earned the Cavs their first NBA title, so it is not difficult to see why he may be linked to a Lakers team, captained by James, that is desperate to win its first title since the 2020 season.

The other option mentioned in early reports is JJ Redick, a first-time coaching candidate who became an in-studio analyst before joining the main broadcast team for ABC/ESPN NBA coverage.

While he would be a fresh option and potentially bring something new to the organization, it is unknown if James would want to risk putting the last few years of his career in the hands of someone who has never coached an NBA game before.

Anthony Davis to Have More Input2 of 3

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James will not be the only player on this Lakers squad with input on who the next head coach will be and what direction the team will take moving forward.

ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that Anthony Davis is expected to have greater input this offseason and that team officials believe he is “finally taking the torch from LeBron in the last season and a half.”

Davis played up to James’ level this season, scoring 24.7 per game, out-rebounding him with 12.6 to his 7.3, and shooting 55.6 from the paint to James’ 54 percent.

Even without considering the stats, Davis is one of the team’s big two, a star in his own right, and someone with the same number of rings with the Lakers as James.

It stands to reason that Davis would have input into the major decisions made by the front office that will directly affect his and the team’s future.

As someone who figures to be with Los Angeles longer than this generation’s greatest, it would make far less sense if Davis did not have input and was expected to go along with whatever decisions were made.

Lakers Willing to Do What It Takes to Bring LeBron Back3 of 3

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How much longer will James play and will it be for the Los Angeles Lakers?

Those are two very significant questions hanging over the league like pregnant clouds but Shams Charania, Jovan Buha, and Sam Amick of The Athletic provided some input.

“James is expected to play up to two more NBA seasons, one source briefed on his thinking said. He has a $51.4 million player option for the 2024-25 season. Two more seasons would take James through the 2026 All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles.”

They continued, “The Lakers, team sources say, would be open to discussing any deal that involves James coming back — including even the maximum three-year, $164 million extension they can offer. Playing through a three-year deal would put him at 42 by the end of the contract.”

The greatest player of this generation is not the problem in Los Angeles. If anything, he is the closest thing that the organization has to a solution for its championship conundrum.

The report suggests that the Lakers will be aggressive this offseason as it looks to surround James and Davis with the pieces necessary to compete for a title in an NBA that is growing younger and faster, with the writers specifically mentioning Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young as a potential addition.

Tradeable contracts and three first-round draft picks make up quite the arsenal for the Lakers to attempt to get something done and chase the team’s first title in five years.

With James leading the ship as its captain and face of the franchise.

At least for two more years.