LeBron James’ decision to opt into his deal with the Los Angeles Lakers hasn’t done much to quiet speculation about his long-term future with the franchise.
Shortly after picking up his player option, Rich Paul made it clear his client would be monitoring what the Lakers do while attempting a shift to focussing on the future.
That uncertainty has even reached James’ eldest son and Lakers teammate, Bronny James, who told reporters he’s not in the loop about his father’s next move.
“We don’t really talk about it much,” Bronny said via ESPN. “I think when stuff like that does come up, he just tells me to not worry about it, to not even pay attention to it [and] just lock into what you have going on right now. And that’s what’s going to get me better and to keep me focused. I think it’s good that he tells me to not pay attention to that stuff.”
Bronny, now preparing for his second season with the Lakers’ summer league team, said his focus remains on development.
“Obviously, being on the team, I think we’re going to come back even better than we were last year,” Bronny said. “We just got to come in here and come in the gym with a purpose and be ready to work every day and be ready to get better every day.”
Meanwhile, LeBron’s future in Los Angeles has never been more uncertain. The recent trade for Luka Doncic saw Anthony Davis sent to Dallas, a move that drastically changed the team’s core and left James’ role in question.
The Lakers added DeAndre Ayton on Wednesday to fill their hole at center, but their free agency activity has been minimal. Starting forward Dorian Finney-Smith departed for Houston, while Jake LaRavia remains the only other new face in the rotation.
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