The Los Angeles Lakers are planning as if LeBron James is going to be back on the roster next season.
The 38-year-old hinted at retiring after being swept and his only recent activity on social media was a cryptic post about walking away with a Jay-Z song in it.
However, NBA Hall of Famer Reggie Miller isn’t buying James’ attitude right now, and he thinks it’s all a power move.
"He's not going anywhere. He just wants some leverage to have Rob Pelinka tweak that roster a little bit. I know Kyrie is being floated out there. I'm not thats the answer. But he wants control."
–@ReggieMillerTNT on the future of LeBron
Full appearance: https://t.co/szsKx2KpHT pic.twitter.com/CWlQv4NyHX
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) June 1, 2023
In a recent appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, the Indiana Pacers legend claimed that LeBron only made those comments to get some leverage and put pressure on Rob Pelinka’s shoulders.
Miller believes James wants Pelinka to tweak the roster a little bit and maybe even sign Kyrie Irving, which will obviously be easier said than done.
Signing a max-caliber player like Irving would force the Lakers to give up on plenty of depth, which was one of their biggest strengths towards the end of the season.
Moreover, reports state that — as much as Irving would love to reunite with James — he’s already got a verbal agreement on a max contract with the Dallas Mavericks.
The Lakers put together a solid roster after the NBA trade deadline, and it seems like they could use an upgrade at the point guard position.
Power move or not, all eyes will be set on LeBron throughout the offseason.
Maybe he just needs to get some rest and restore and we’ll see him back on the court for a 21st season.
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