McMenamin: LeBron James is still monitoring the Lakers' moves

Ever since LeBron James opted into the final season of his contract in late June, there has been lots of speculation about his immediate future with the Los Angeles Lakers. That speculation stemmed from a statement his agent, Rich Paul, gave to ESPN that stated, in part, that the two “want to evaluate what’s best” for the superstar moving forward.

James is 40 years of age and is headed toward his record 23rd season in the NBA. It does appear he will start the new season as a member of the Lakers, but what happens afterward with him is anyone’s guess, especially now that the franchise revolves around Luka Doncic, who just agreed to a three-year contract extension.

ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that James is supportive of Doncic being with the team, but that the four-time MVP is still looking at what the team will do to build a championship-caliber roster (at 10:42).

“I’m told that the statement that Rich Paul gave to Shams Charania back in June when LeBron opted in still stands,” McMenamin said. “LeBron and his representatives will be monitoring the Lakers’ moves that they make, because they recognize that there’s only a very limited amount of time left in his career and he wants to be competing for championships, whatever time that is.”

It has been rumored that James and his camp have been unhappy that the Lakers are now catering to Doncic and not James. However, Charania also reported that James is supportive of this shift.

With Doncic now under contract for at least the next three years, Los Angeles can fully shift its focus to building a championship team around both superstars. Once James leaves, there’s no telling how long it will take the team to find another star to put alongside Doncic, and therefore, now is the time for it to go for its 18th NBA championship, especially since Doncic made it clear that he wants to get a ring now.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: McMenamin: LeBron James is still monitoring the Lakers’ moves

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