Watching how exciting and entertaining these NBA playoffs have been without LeBron James and the Lakers has me worried that we may finally see LeBron James make the decision that next season would be his last.
I hope I’m wrong but learning LeBron’s injury would have sidelined him for the rest of the playoffs had the Lakers been able to comeback against the Minnesota Timberwolves might have been Father Time’s coup de gras. As both LeBron and Steph have found out, the NBA is undergoing a major changing of the guard. Playoff interest may have waned without LeBron and the Lakers but the games and series have been simply sensational.
Don’t think for a minute that LeBron doesn’t see what’s happening and understand how it impacts his legacy He’s going to meet with his family and see what they want before he makes any decisions about next season.
I would not at all be surprised if LeBron decides that next season will be his last. Knowing his injury would have prevented him from playing even if the Lakers won is the kind of body blow that could convince James it was time.
The big question is what should the Lakers do this summer if next season is indeed going to be LeBron James last season in the NBA? Do the Lakers go all-in to try and win a final championship in LeBron’ James’ final season?
The Lakers know they need starting and backup centers and an elite point-of-attack defensive guard to pair with Luka Doncic. This is now Doncic’s team but does Rob Pelinka make moves to give LeBron a final shot?
Let’s look at what the Lakers’ realistic options and risks are should they want to go all-in and optimize their chances of winning the championship next season should LeBron James decide it will be his last in the NBA.
REPLACING LEBRON JAMES SUDDENLY BECOMES URGENT
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Frankly, finding a second superstar to pair with Luka Doncic in the event LeBron James announces next season will be his last in the NBA should be a higher priority for the Lakers than winning a championship next season.
Realistically, the Lakers already have LeBron James’ perfect replacement in Luka Doncic. Should next season be LeBron’s last, however, the Lakers will need to find another superstar to replace James as Doncic’s co-superstar.
The Lakers would be smart to combine their need for a championship caliber starting center and their desire to find a second superstar to pair with Luka Doncic into an active pursuit of an Anthony Davis replacement.
By focusing on pursuing a superstar center to pair with Luka Doncic the Lakers can achieve two major goals with one single move. They can get a championship caliber starting center and a second superstar for Luka.
Remembering that this is now Luka Doncic’s team, Pelinka is likely going to be looking for young centers rather veteran centers with the goal of finding an elite young center who’s timeline is a perfect match for Luka Doncic.
Top candidates for the Lakers to pursue as their potential starting center of the future in my opinion include the Grizzlies Jaren Jackson Jr., the Pacers Myles Turner, the Celtics’ Kristaps Porzingis, and the Jazz’ Walker Kessler.
While none of these centers are by definition legitimate superstars, they’re each difference makers in their roles and each have the critical skillsets both offensively and defensively that are essential to modern NBA centers.
Should LeBron James decide next season is going to be his last in the NBA, the Lakers have some big decisions to make, including how do they acquire a second superstar to pair with Luka Doncic and whom do they pursue?
THE LAKERS’ PERFECT ‘ANTHONY DAVIS’ REPLACEMENT
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The Lakers’ perfect ‘Anthony Davis’ replacement should be the Grizzlies’ 25-year old power forward/center Jaren Jackson Jr., an elite two-way player who can protect the rim and stretch the floor with his 3-point shooting.
The concept of the Lakers replacing 40-year old LeBron James with 26-year old Luka Doncic and 32-year old Anthony Davis with 25-year old Jaren Jackson Jr. is about as perfect a turn-back-the-clock strategy as possible.
Replacing the elder James and Davis, who are a combined 72-years old together, with the younger Doncic and Jackson, who are only a combined 51-years old, would represent the Lakers becoming 21 years younger.
The similarities between James and Doncic as generational superstar scorers and playmakers and Davis and Jackson as generational modern superstar bigs who can protect the rim and stretch the floor are eerie.
Strategically, the Lakers replaced LeBron James with a clone who’s 14-years younger. If they can repeat that by replacing Anthony Davis with a clone who’s 7-years younger, they will have created a superstar time machine.
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies are a mess. The season ended in an embarrassing first round sweep. Superstar Ja Morant is still a problem. The Grizzlies fired their coach and replaced him with one who wants Ja to take fewer shots.
Serious questions have arisen whether Morant, Dane, and Jackson were the right trio for Memphis to invest in. Trading one or two of their big three could be a reality as the Grizzlies look for a new direction for the future.
Step in Rob Pelinka and the Lakers who make a mega offer to the Grizzlies for Jaren Jackson Jr. that includes 3 elite young talents and the equivalent of 3 post-LeBron first round picks. That’s an offer Memphis cannot refuse.
THE JAREN JACKSON TRADE MEMPHIS CANNOT REFUSE
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The Lakers offer the Grizzlies a package they cannot turn down of Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves, Dalton Knecht, 1 unprotected first round pick, and 2 unprotected first round swaps for Jaren Jackson, Jr. and Jay Huff.
Strategically, the Lakers need to trade for a player who can both fill their immediate need for a starting center and also give them a former DPOY who could elevate their defense to legitimate championship caliber.
The Lakers’ generous offer of 3 elite young players and the equivalent of 3 post-LeBron James first round draft picks for centers Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jay Huff should be too valuable for the Memphis Grizzlies to turn down.
It’s eerie how Luka Doncic’s and LeBron James’ overall games, scoring, and playmaking skillsets are similar just as Jaren Jackson Jr’s and Anthony Davis’ abilities to protect the rim and space the floor are comparable.
Luka/JJJJ would represent a pairing the Lakers know worked to win a championship in 2020 and could have resulting in additional titles had the Lakers decided to keep that core together rather than breaking it up.
There’s a strong argument to be made that Jaren Jackson Jr. is the perfect center whom the Lakers should target this summer regardless of whether next season is going to be LeBron James’ last as an NBA player or not.
Frankly, Triple J is the perfect two-way modern center the Lakers need to win a championship and the ideal defense-first frontcourt superstar they need to pair with an offense-first backcourt superstar like Luka Doncic.
Bottom line, the Los Angeles Lakers should make the Memphis Grizzlies an offer for Jaren Jackson Jr. they cannot refuse. Jaren Jackson Jr. is the perfect candidate to pair with Luka Doncic in the next great Lakers dynasty.
While I won’t get into the hyperbole of it all, I do like targeting a player like JJJ. Still. all things being equal, if JJJ is even available, I think Phoenix or Portland makes more sense for Memphis. Phoenix could offer up an instant rebuild in either Durant or Beal that trades either player into Memphis’ upcoming cap space (2nd apron will be $207.8 million, Memphis will start the summer with only $135,858,159 in committed monies so i expect them to be involved in some player absorption deals).
Now if the Grizz are blowing it all up, that’s a different equation, but adding say Durant (not sure Phoenix can move Beal…he’s just not anywhere close to the worth of that contract now) for 1 player makes so much sense for them and for Phoenix they get out of cap hell with one, bold move and improve the team around Booker in the doing. Only sticking point is Phoenix has a…complicated…draft pick situation on their hands.
Another team that makes sense is Portland. They could also trade Ayton or Grant into Memphis’ cap space and clear up their books, as well. JJJ makes sense for a ton of teams on the verge of competing as much as he does for a contender. Both players help improve Memphis to the point of the “how long are we giving Ja Morant?” question they’re currently facing. When healthy he’s dynamic. That’s the case for every team that has key guys out for long stretches, though.
In short, while I could see it happening and would be stoked if it did, barring a Nice style blunder of “we’re only talking to the Lakers” it will be a hard deal to swing and the one presented here is by no means the best possible offer one can image. is it the best the lakers could manage? Sure.
In terms of the Lakers going all in next season… I’m still mulling this one over. Not sure LeBron wants to do the whole “farewell tour” thing and could just pull the plug this summer. Or just decline his PO, not retire, and wait and see what he thinks the Lakers should do vs. what they actually do. My bet is, if he does retire, he does do the whole farewell tour thing but for a guy who has to talk a lot about how grateful he is and blessed and so on it may not hold the same weight as it does to us regular folks. if it was me I’d say screw the fanfare, I’m done when I’m done and I don’t need the hoopla. I ain’t LBJ tho so…what do I know about any of that jazz?
While it’s fun to think about players like JJJ, you still have to have a quality rotation. Trade Austin and now you need a quality championship back up PG to replace him. Rui has became a very good defender. And once JJ started using Rui more in the last two games he went 10 for 18 from 3. That combination of 42% 3 point shooting and defense will be hard to replace. One of are weakness is we need another wing defender, trade Rui now we need two.
We lost because we didn’t have a decent center nd we were not as deep. Heck we were not as deep as most of the playoff teams in the west. Heck, OKC is using an 11 man rotation in the playoffs! They wear you down. The Nuggets have even less depth than us and will begin to feel the effects soon.
I don’t believe we need a star center, just a decent one. Our other 4 starteres are great and our small ball line up is one of the best. add that decent center and one more two way player to our group and I think it changes everything.