"There was a moment when the Lakers were humming along near the end of the NBA's regular season, when they went 16-2 in the month of March as Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James found their groove together as a dynamic threesome. But on April 2 at Oklahoma City, Doncic (Grade 2 left hamstring strain) and Reaves (Grade 2 left oblique muscle strain) went down with injuries and it was left to James to lead the group."
"James did, leading the Lakers past the Houston Rockets in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. Reaves joined James in Game 5 of that series and the two of them led the charge into the Western Conference semifinals against the Thunder, a series in which Los Angeles got swept, 4-0. Through it all, Doncic was and still is the center of the Lakers' universe."
"So with James and Reaves looking at free agency, Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka said Tuesday at the team's exit interviews that the organization wants both players back to team up with Doncic. James, 41 and in his 23rd season, made $52.6 million last season but will be a free agent this offseason, when he can retire, return to the Lakers or play for another team."
""I think in terms of LeBron, we probably haven't seen a player that has honored the game to the extent that he's honored the game. He's given so much to his teammates, to this organization," Pelinka said. "And the thing we want to do more than anything else is honor him back. And I think the first order of business there is allowing him to spend the time he needs to decide what his next steps are. "Does he want to play another year in the NBA? And that'll be, as he said to you guys last night, family time [and] I think time with his inner circle. And we just want to honor that for him."
The Lakers finished the regular season with strong momentum, going 16-2 in March as Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James played well together. Injuries struck on April 2 at Oklahoma City when Doncic and Reaves left with Grade 2 left hamstring and left oblique strains, leaving James to lead. James guided the Lakers past the Houston Rockets in the first round, and Reaves returned for Game 5. The Lakers then faced the Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals and were swept 4-0. Luka Doncic remains central to the team’s plans. With James and Reaves approaching free agency, Lakers president Rob Pelinka said the organization wants both players back and will honor James by giving him time to decide whether to play another NBA year, focusing on family and his inner circle.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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