While LeBron James' immediate basketball future remains up in the air, it seems the chances that he will remain with the Los Angeles Lakers have increased in recent weeks.
He has done much more than keep the franchise afloat after Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves suffered hamstring and oblique injuries, respectively, on April 2 — he has helped it thrive. James has gone from the third scoring option behind Doncic and Reaves to his old role as the Lakers' main scoring threat and facilitator, and in doing so, he has put them on the verge of doing the unthinkable.
By averaging 25.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 8.7 assists a game so far in their first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets, he has guided them to a 3-0 series lead. Rich Paul, James' longtime agent and friend, says the Lakers "should be delighted" that James came to play for them in the first place and that they "should be doing everything they can" to keep the future Hall of Famer beyond this season.
“When you have a player like LeBron James, on, off the court and etcetera, you keep that guy a part of your organization. The Lakers should be delighted that he played them, number one, and also, they should be doing everything they can to make sure he’s a part of that organization going forward, because, guess what, you won't find another.”
Many don't think James will retire after this season, though that remains a possibility, at least according to one report in The Athletic. If he does leave the Lakers, it is thought he will most likely return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, although the Golden State Warriors will also reportedly pursue him.
While Los Angeles will, in all likelihood, be able to offer the 41-year-old much more money than other teams, he will probably have to take a steep pay cut. James will make a total of $52.6 million this season, but the Lakers will also have to re-sign players such as Austin Reaves and possibly Luke Kennard, Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton, and they may also want to add one or two rotation players to their core.
They're projected to have roughly $50 million in salary cap space this summer. If James leaves or retires, they will have to find a way to replace his ball-handling, scoring, facilitating and veteran leadership.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Rich Paul: Lakers 'should be doing everything they can' to keep LeBron