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The Los Angeles Lakers have had an eventful offseason, to say the least, with the most recent development being Mark Walter selling the organization in the biggest deal in NBA history. LA has also made several roster moves in an effort to build around Luka Doncic.
However, the biggest loss of the offseason happened at the very beginning. The Lakers lost LeBron James to the Philadelphia 76ers.
“LeBron James is signing with the Philadelphia 76ers for his final run at another NBA championship, he announced Friday,” ESPN’s Dave McMenamin wrote. “James, 41, is signing a two-year, $8 million contract with a player option, Klutch Sports Group CEO Rich Paul told ESPN's Shams Charania.”
James was a major part of the organization for nearly the past decade. His departure was only a matter of time, as the relationship between the two sides was reportedly beginning to fade. In a recent report, it was revealed that James was frustrated with having to defer to Austin Reaves as the team’s second option, which created some issues.
“Covering LeBron James last season, he had an internal conflict going on with how much he had to defer to Austin Reaves (even Bron understood that Luka was the top dawg in any circumstance),” The Athletic’s Law Murray wrote.
While that may have caused some problems inside the locker room, Lake Show Life’s Tyler Watts believes Austin Reaves could see a dip in production without James.
“The Los Angeles Lakers know Austin Reaves struggles to hit contested and pull-up 3-pointers, and the departure of LeBron James likely only forces him to take more of these problematic looks. AR is the number two option with James on the Philadelphia 76ers. Fans saw Reaves take an overall leap last season, but his 3-point percentage was the second-lowest of his career and right on the league average of 36 percent. That likely goes down further in a larger role,” Watts wrote.
The Lakers will have to navigate life without James, and Reaves will have one of the biggest adjustments to make. Playing alongside James has been a major part of his career, and now he will have to figure out how to operate without one of the greatest players in NBA history beside him.
Reaves will have plenty to adjust to, but perhaps the biggest change will be losing the player who could consistently create opportunities for him. With James now in Philadelphia, Reaves will have to find ways to generate offense and create open looks without the same level of help he previously received. He has never had this responsibility entirely to himself during his career. If he struggles to adjust to life without James, his numbers could take a significant hit.
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