Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers - LeBron James Looks Ahead to the Summer, Calls This Season a Success

Starting point is 00:00:00 LeBron James talks about the season that was and the season that might be coming. We'll tell you what the breadcrumbs he left might mean for the Lakers this offseason. You are Locked-on Lakers. Your daily Los Angeles Lakers podcast, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. Thanks to everybody for stopping by Locked on Lakers. Brian Kaminetsky, Andy Kaminetsky, plenty to break down. for today's show as LeBron James was on the Mind the Game podcast.

Starting point is 00:00:42 I don't know how they managed to book him, but he was there. And, you know, so he was talking to Steve Nash on his, on their show. And they covered a lot of ground. And they talked about the season that was Andy. LeBron kind of weighed in on on the team that we just saw, you know, make it to the second round. his own performance, what he thought of the season. And then just as importantly, he kind of, Steve Nash asked him about what's coming. And he was not totally specific, but at least gave some insight into what his thoughts, thought process is going to be.

Starting point is 00:01:26 So what stuck out to you first and foremost? Well, I would say first and foremost, what jumped out of me is the timeline that obviously can change. it is May and what LeBron says in May does not hold him in blood oath fashion to what may happen in June or July or whatever. But for now, LeBron said that he hasn't really given a ton of thought to what he's going to do next season. Like right now he's still kind of in going on vacation with my family. Right. He's in vacation mode. Right. He's looking to get that time with his family and Memorial Day vacation. The James, the James fam is going to be doing something and that he's going to take his time. And by take his time, he really means take his time. He said, quote, I think at some point up in June, late July, July rolls around free agency gets going. We can start to get a feel of what my future may look like if it's continuing to play the game that I love, which I know I can still give so much. to the game and play at a high level or if it's not, but I haven't gotten to that point yet.

Starting point is 00:02:39 And obviously, if he is still making up his mind on this in late June, I mean, excuse me, late July, even mid-July, but late July or even August, that is well for getting into free agency. that is well into when free agency is done and we are in the true doldrums of the NBA offseason. We're not even talking about Summer League at that point. So LeBron is, he's putting himself at least for now on a calendar that is basically well past when basically free agents look to do their business.

Starting point is 00:03:24 Can I tell you how I reacted to that because, I mean, first of all, there are two things about this that I thought were interesting. We're talking about the timeline thing right now. So stick with that, but I definitely want to circle back to the other thing about the language that he used. He started off, like you said, like you said in a quote, like, you know, late June, early July as free agency begins and stuff like that. And then kind of extended it, you know, July, August, even whatever. like when I was listening to it in real time, it sounded to me like really trying to make sure that nobody is holding him to a specific like drop dead date where there's like a time where

Starting point is 00:04:10 oh wait, LeBron said it's going to be late June when he decides like we're like somebody's expecting an announcement or July or whatever it might be. He and his people are not stupid. they know the dates of the NBA offseason. If they want to stay in Los Angeles, there needs to be a certain amount of communication about numbers, about what he'd be willing to accept about all these other things.

Starting point is 00:04:40 But even if he wants to leave Los Angeles, LeBron ain't wait until August. That's not a thing. So, you know, when, if he wants to go to, you know, no team is going to necessarily hold on to an exception, hold on to cap space or whatever, and let a parade of, of possibilities go by while LeBron ponderes his future into August. So I think, you know, that raised a lot of eyebrows, but I, to me, it felt more like, you know, when he started off with like late June and all these other things, was him understanding the calendar.

Starting point is 00:05:20 and then kind of wanting to walk it back a little bit so nobody holds him to a particular calendar. I guess maybe. You may not agree, but that's how I agree. I don't agree because he walks. He was not waiting until August to make these choices. He's not. That may or may not be, but that's walking it back too far.

Starting point is 00:05:40 He walked it to the point of absurdity. So that's why I don't actually believe it. Like that's not a plausible way to get people off his ass. If that's the way you're framing, this, that's not plausible. I don't mean that in the sense that it's going to, like, oh, well, LeBron said August, so we're not even going to ask the question or it's not going to be something that comes up.

Starting point is 00:06:01 I just mean that it, that in any, to whatever degree, LeBron makes a headline by talking about timing or when an announcement, air quotes, would be expected about something or whatever, I think he's just, I think that's something he's trying to avoid. But I personally would be very, very surprised if he doesn't have a pretty good idea of what he wants to do when the beginning of free agency rolls around. Well, here, okay, again, it is May. He does not have to do a blood oath right now in terms of what he plans to do. Exactly. That being, that being said, though, spinning this into late July, early August doesn't even.

Starting point is 00:06:48 make sense as plausible cover or giving himself flexibility or whatever. So let me finish. One of the ways that I took it insofar is just the idea of I'm going to allow myself some time, period, even and period that may bleed into some of free agency. Like that he might, you know, he will be in communication with teams. I'm sure that he might have on his list, but not commit. One of the things that jumped out to me, assuming this timeline even remotely holds, it reads to me as LeBron recognizing that whatever he likely deems as truly fair and appropriate

Starting point is 00:07:34 money for his services next season, you can agree or disagree whatever. But what he would deem as fair and appropriate is likely not awaiting him no matter where he plays. like he is likely going to be taking such a substantial haircut to maybe MLE money or maybe even lower, depending on how much the situation meant or whatever. But regardless, since he's not going to make a substantially higher payday than I think that basic range, he might as well wait to make as an as informed a decision as possible, whether in terms of the roster that he's going to join or if he's truly up for another season

Starting point is 00:08:18 and just get all of the intel because to some degree financially he's going to be landlocked. Well, you're right. If he wants to make more money, he either needs to figure out how to engineer a trade or he needs to sign with the Lakers. If he wants if he's less concerned about money and all of that,

Starting point is 00:08:38 you know, which is just focused on the destination. there are a lot of places he could end up with, you know, with that, you know, somebody offering him an exception or whatever it might be. The other part of it you kind of alluded to that I think, there was no mention of where it was all if. And we can kind of extend this into the break.

Starting point is 00:08:57 And we'll talk to about obviously how a LeBron timeline impacts the Lakers. But the framing of how LeBron talked about this decision had nothing to do with where I'm going to play. Nash actually talked about the family aspects of it, and they talked about L.A. and family loves it here and all that kind of stuff. They got into all that. But it was all in the context of,

Starting point is 00:09:24 do I want to play another season? So, I mean, I don't think there was any, I don't think there were any breadcrumbs or any tea leaves other than, and we'll talk about this before the show's over, how he talked about this year's, Lakers team. I don't think he left a lot of breadcrumbs as to where he might end up playing next year.

Starting point is 00:09:50 So we'll talk next about what you think he's going to choose just in terms of playing or not playing. But then also too, how obviously all of this impacts the way the Lakers try to lay out their offseason. We'll do that next. Locked on Lakers is brought to you by game time. There's nothing like playoff basketball live. Trust me.

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Starting point is 00:11:02 Use the code locked on for $20 off your first purchase. Terms of apply. Again, create an account. Redeem the code L-O-C-E-D-O-N for $20 off, download the GameTime app today. Okay, so again, like the issue here, as LeBron explained it, is not about which city is my destination. It was entirely framed in, we've got to decide whether or not I'm going to play.

Starting point is 00:11:35 What is my future hold? Am I an NBA player still or am I not? And I mean, I would be surprised, Andy, if he didn't play. But I believe him when he says he's got to think about it. Consistently said the last three off seasons that I believe LeBron has to think about this because it's harder for him to do. It is amazing that he can still play at this level, you know, with his age and mileage and the way he was able to step up when Luca and Austin got hurt. Like all of that is there's no template for it. Talked about this all the time.

Starting point is 00:12:16 Like nobody has done this for so long with these type of responsibilities, but it ain't easy. Like you can see the work that used to not be there. LeBron made it look effortless. It does not look effortless at all. This stuff takes a toll on his body. And I think there is a lot of, is it still worth it? Am I still finding the passion? Am I still finding the thing that keeps me engaged?

Starting point is 00:12:41 Like I think for a little while it was playing with Brony, but or at least one of of those things, but at this point, it'll be potentially three seasons of doing it. Like, it may still, I'm sure it still means something to LeBron, but it's not new anymore. I don't care for Job. He's gotten tired of Bromia, but no, I understand what you mean. He talked at length in glowing terms, to your point, about, you know, what were the highlights of this season? And that game in Houston was a game two where the two of them were on the floor and,

Starting point is 00:13:19 you know, 10 points between them kind of running off stuff and the lobs and this and that. Like, yeah, but like the point is he has done those things. Right. And while he would like to continue, like, he fulfilled that dream. Right. And it's a lot of constant efforting. And like LeBron is notorious for showing up the games. three or four hours early, you know, the way Kobe used to do the same thing.

Starting point is 00:13:47 And the rigorameral of keeping your body in that type of shape, particularly when you're going to be turning 42, like I do think it's a lot to consider. So I don't think he's BSing about that. I think that's real. I guess I think he'll play, but, you know, I would not rule retirement out. I wouldn't rule it outright, particularly if, say,

Starting point is 00:14:09 he looks around the landscape and is like, you know what, none of these teams jump out at me as I got to play with him one more year. Like, I got to. It's funny because, like, his choice and, you know, the how with the Lakers is obviously really important. But, like, his choice is one that's ultimately going to come down to where is a place where I can play competitively where, like, my presence will make us better. I know we'll be in the mix of teams that are playing into the spring and all that kind of stuff. But once he signs that the spurs or the thunder, he's probably, I guess maybe the Celtics for next year with, you know, full season of Tatum and Brown and all that kind of stuff. Like chances are he's not going to be on a front line contender because those teams can't, like there aren't.

Starting point is 00:15:04 And those teams are way farther ahead of everybody. So it's because I want to go play in New York before I'm done. Always wanted to do that. I want to go back to Cleveland for one more year. I want to play with Steph. I want to have that experience of being on a court with that guy and being off the court with that guy, one of the few guys in league who's old enough to kind of hang out with when they're together.

Starting point is 00:15:28 Similar interests at this point, go golfing together. because he's not joining a rebuilding team. He and Nash joked about that at length on the show. Like year 24 is not one where you go to a rebuilding squad. But it's not like there's three or four places he could go where he could choose. I mean, like, I had a real shot at a title here. Ultimately, I think that works the Lakers advantage, assuming you would want to bring him back,

Starting point is 00:15:58 because their sort of long shot title chances next year are probably as good as anybody else's for anywhere else he could go. Well, and again, taking LeBron at face value in terms of this very extended timeline to make a decision, again, he is not being held to this. But if you take him at his word that if nothing else, he is not going to make his decision immediately when free agency begins. I know it's going to frustrate a lot of Laker fans who don't like LeBron already

Starting point is 00:16:34 and are just like, make up your effing mind LaFraud. But like to me, this is actually a gift for the Lakers in that it gives them a fair amount of freedom regardless of how this shakes out. And how it shakes out may still include LeBron, but it removes any finger quotes disrespect for renouncing his rights. which I expected them to do anyway,

Starting point is 00:16:59 unless they agreed to something concrete before free agency even opens, like something, you know, wink, wink, this is what we're going to do. Like his cap hold is just too big. Almost $58 million. Right. It's too big, not to renounce.

Starting point is 00:17:16 That is out of the way. Even if you, again, want to keep LeBron, I think it also allows them to maximize to whatever degree you, think it is maximizable, a future forward build that if LeBron wants to be a part of it, he can be slid into it with an exception or whatever. But you get away from whatever bad optics, I'm sure they are concerned about where it seems like you are kicking LeBron to the curb by prioritizing players A, B, and C ahead of him.

Starting point is 00:17:49 If LeBron is taking his time, then nobody's expected to wait. And I think, I agree. I think this actually works well for the Lakers, even if, again, they want to resign LeBron for one more year. And look, there's just because, you know, LeBron can sort of be making, they are going to be in communication with the organization. Of course. And, you know, LeBron is among the player. For the Lakers to open up the kind of cap space that everybody's talking about, they've got to basically renounce almost everyone. If LeBron wants to come back to L.A., they're going to renounce his right.

Starting point is 00:18:24 but they're going to do it with a pretty decent idea of what his number is going to be to come back because that's the number they need to know to go out and make an offer sheet to player X or try to make a trade into cap space and all that kind of stuff. Like they need to know what these numbers are and a lot of a pretty good idea because like I said, I think by July, LeBron's going to, even if he's not talking about it publicly, I think privately he'll have a pretty good feel for it. So you mentioned before, like if you take LeBron's time, timeline at face value. I do not. So, but like they need like the renouncing thing is going to

Starting point is 00:19:02 have to happen. Yes. And that, you know, that's separate. We'll get, we'll get some cap guys on to really break down what this is. But like, it's it it does reinforce. Once they work this out so early that they are using LeBron's bird rights to re-sign him and go over the cap in the process. They have to renounce his rights. Right. But I don't, I don't think, I think if they do that stuff, like I still think they're limited into what they can do with the other players that they might want to, you know, some of the other flexibility if they, if they use like LeBron's bird rights and stuff. I don't want to get, I don't want to say like, it's not like I will miss, I will say the wrong thing. I will give incorrect information. I'm saying it's the only scenario

Starting point is 00:19:47 where it would make sense not to renounce his rights. It's the only one. But it's a bad team building scenario. And say it was a good reason. I just said it's the only one. Well, they could, I guess you could just sign them and obviously once you sign a contract, then your number drops down and all that kind of stuff. But the order of operations can be really important for the Lakers with what they want to do this offseason. Whether LeBron wants to come back is obviously going to be somewhat dependent on the quality of the team. And I thought, at least. LeBron had some fairly complimentary things to say about this year's group.

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Starting point is 00:23:10 different combinations of players and this, that, whatever. And never seeming to get all of their players on the floor at the same time, except for that one little magical run that we all saw through most of March. And then I thought the way he talked about the culture of the team through the playoffs was also quite complimentary. Yeah, he said on balance he was pretty happy with how they acquitted themselves in the playoffs when you consider the context. He noted they were not out physicaled by the thunder. They were not out efforted. They were not even outsmarted or outschemed or whatever.

Starting point is 00:23:49 As he said, they were just out talented. And, you know, that can be frustrating in its own right. and I'm sure that is something that LeBron is thinking about just in terms of what he wants to do next season and the teams that he may or may not want to join, like the talent that is on the roster is going to matter to him. But the way he's describing this, it doesn't lead to regrets by the players, where they feel like, you know what, if we had just worked a little bit harder, or if we were more willing to actually run the game plan

Starting point is 00:24:27 as opposed to freelancing or whatever, we wouldn't have left this stuff on the table. Like LeBron acknowledged that team, especially with no Luca, but even with Luca, they got more talented. I mean, they are a more talented team than them. And as LeBron said, you can tip your cap to them. Like there's not really anything you can do about it when you realize it's a talent gap thing first and foremost.

Starting point is 00:24:56 Yeah, and I think that's important. And it's, I mean, it's obviously it's commentary on, you know, where the team is and all that kind of stuff. But as we talked about in the last segment, it's important to understand too. Like that applies to everyone in this, you know, the, the, the, the, the, the, the Timberwolves were out talented.

Starting point is 00:25:13 I mean, you know, ants injury, hurt and all that kind of stuff. But the Timberwolves were out talented. The nuggets were out talented. Like, all. of these teams were out talented and that's why they're not part of the reason they're not playing anymore but particularly in the west that you know the two teams that are left are just that much better than everybody i compared it like the the interview that when i was listening to this that kind of jumped out to me as like what is the what is the alternative to that because you don't often hear

Starting point is 00:25:39 players kind of roast their own organization or roast other play but i thought back to that miles turner interview where he was talking about doc and the total lack of accountability around the, you know, in their culture and Janus being late to everything and, and all of this stuff. It's like that was a guy who spent a year, particularly coming out of what they had in Indiana the year before. Like, you know good culture. That Pacers team had it getting to the finals with Rick Carlisle. And he was like, this was a tire fire.

Starting point is 00:26:17 all year long. Like our star was not setting an example. Our coach didn't bother. Like all of it. Like this was awful. Like I've never heard like Miles Turner is still on that team. He wasn't talking about a former team. I got a strong sneaking suspicion.

Starting point is 00:26:37 He'd like that to change. That may be. But he's still there. And I can tell you this. Assuming the bucks do trade Janus, I am one, I don't need to do any asking around, I'm 1,000% sure. They will look to accommodate Miles Turner's wishes. Right.

Starting point is 00:26:56 Because once John is there, no point in having him there. It is worth noting. You mentioned the Turner salary. I think it was for Thursday show. But like, his number, actually it's under 30 million, which isn't nothing. But it feels bigger because people tend to attach the money that Millwell's, is eating for stretching dame and buying him out, which while practically like that's what they spent to acquire like Turner's like a $45 million player to Milwaukee, but to everyone else,

Starting point is 00:27:32 he's a $30 million player. It's just something to keep in mind. And you're right. They would be absolutely insane to not try to trade him. But like I thought of that interview. And LeBron didn't do that. LeBron was very complimentary of the team, of the culture, of the preparation of all of this stuff. And there was nothing that I picked up on.

Starting point is 00:27:56 Maybe I'm, you know, rose-colored glasses or whatever it might be. There was nothing in anything he described about this year's team, its performance or whatever that led me to think that he wouldn't be willing to come back and play another year with the organization, hopefully a better version of this team. I just think he also had no reason to criticize him. I mean, they got to the second round of the playoffs while short-handed for, you know, no Luke of the entire time, no Austin for, I know, somewhere to 50, 60 percent, something like that of their total playoff run. That's, and they played the defending champs in the second round who looked very, very live possibility to repeat. they're a team also that LeBron has complimented on more than one occasion this season. Like I remember someone, I remember after one of the games that they lost in the regular season to the Thunder,

Starting point is 00:28:59 someone asked LeBron about essentially where the Lakers stack up to the Thunder and he's like, we don't. That's a championship team right there. We're not there yet. But I did not get any, like you, I did not get any sense that LeBron, in mentioning they were out talented, was implying because we suck. It's more, we're good, particularly if we have everybody,

Starting point is 00:29:23 we're a good team. They're better. Like, they're just better. Like, LeBron has played on teams that were better than if not everybody, damn near everybody. He knows what that looks like. And I think also, like,

Starting point is 00:29:37 when you're talking about Austin, when you're talking about Rui, smart, like, Kinnard. Like, I think these are guys that he, can respect in terms of their hardworking, smart players, they try to do the right things on the court. He's seen the growth in somebody like Rui. And I remember like when we covered Kobe,

Starting point is 00:30:03 one of his favorite players on those 2009, 2010 championship teams was Josh Powell. And Josh Powell was like the 11th or 12th man on that team. He did not play particularly often. But Josh Powell squeezed every single ounce of what was by NBA standards, low-level talent that he could. He practiced his ass off. He made people compete. And Kobe respected that. He respected guys who were like,

Starting point is 00:30:31 I want to be the best version of myself. Yes. Even if that version is- I'm going to maximize my talent. Yeah. And I think LeBron could look at enough guys on this team and say they were about the right things. I'm good with that.

Starting point is 00:30:47 I did forget to mention it out of the break, the Everyday Club Lockedonlakers.supercast.com, $5 a month, $50 a year. You get the show ad-free. You get access to the Discord server that has our channel on it. It has other NBA channels. Talk to us.

Starting point is 00:31:01 Talk to other hosts. Talk to other locked on listeners. So check it out. See if it's for you. I just, I think it gets to like, this, they talked about it, but the two of those guys. They talked about like, you know, 29 teams don't win a title.

Starting point is 00:31:24 And, you know, ultimately that's the goal. And to some degree, you have fallen short of, well, it should be the goal. You have fallen short of that goal if you're one of the 29 teams who doesn't win the finals. But I agree from an organizational standpoint and from a mentality standpoint and all that stuff. I think what he talked about and what Nash talked about is like not everybody can win. Like some teams aren't built to win. Some teams are trying to win but just aren't there yet. Some teams are built to win and things go wrong.

Starting point is 00:32:00 Like would the Lakers have beat the Thunder in the second round if Luca was healthy? Probably not. Would they have, would the series have been a sweep? Probably no. No. You know, so like the Lakers, you know, the Lakers would have made that series. more competitive. And, you know, we'd probably be talking about this a little bit differently if Luca

Starting point is 00:32:21 didn't get hurt. But he did. This kind of thing happens. And, you know, you have to take in all of that stuff. And I don't think it makes, I don't think it makes you, you know, a quitter. I don't think it means you don't have the eye of the tiger. I don't they like these guys, you have to be able to find value in what you're doing. And the concept of, are we maximizing what we.

Starting point is 00:32:45 have because that as you bold towards winning a title, that habit of being able to maximize what you have and a culture that values maximizing what you have will be required when you finally have enough talent. We talked about those rankings, those tier ranking yesterday, yesterday, Andy. By the way, three minute to be. He's on the second tier, the number two tier B. by the way, the players that were in the 2B tier with LeBron included Scotty Barnes, Jalen Brown, Chad Holmgren, Tyrese Maxie, Jalen Johnson, and Carl Anthony Towns.

Starting point is 00:33:26 2A was Jalen Brunson, Steph, Kauai, KD, Donovan Mitchell, and 2C was Jamal Murray and Evan Mobley. Right, and keep in mind, like, the A tier is just 10 guys. So you're basically talking about like the next 10, 15 players. And so that's about right for LeBron, somewhere. between, you know, somewhere in the teens probably if you start breaking this stuff down, low 20s, pretty good for a 42-year-old or soon-to-be 42-year-old. But, like, you know, it's, that's why, that's kind of why when we talked about the Dodgers

Starting point is 00:33:58 for Thursday show and that connection to the Lakers now and adopting that sort of attitude the Dodgers have, which is not our goal is to win a championship as articulated. Their goal is, we're going to be the best organization we can be ever. We're going to make this the best place for. for a player to play. And year, day in and day out, whatever. Like those are things that you can control. The Lakers are trying to build that culture

Starting point is 00:34:22 that will pay off when they get the four more players that they need to equal the talent pool that the Spurs and the Thunder currently have. Tough task. Yeah, you know, it sounds, when you say it like that, it sounds like a hard thing to do over the summer, particularly in a summer where you could argue the two best free agents to be are your guys. It would be helpful if there were more free agents that were really good that played for other teams

Starting point is 00:34:55 that you could poach, but that's not the world we live in. Lockdown Lakers on YouTube. So we can hang out with over 38,000 subscribers to the channel. We'll see everyone next time.

Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers - LeBron James Looks Ahead to the Summer, Calls This Season a Success

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