Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – The Los Angeles Lakers would be thrilled to have LeBron James back if the superstar opts to play a 24th NBA season but plan to start building around Luka Doncic, general manager Rob Pelinka said Tuesday. One day after the Lakers were swept out of the NBA playoffs by the Oklahoma City Thunder, Pelinka and coach JJ Redick met with reporters to discuss the franchise’s future.
James, 41, said Monday he would take some time to decide his plans as he heads into free agency and Pelinka said the team would “honor” his process. “We probably haven’t seen a player that has honored the game to the extent that he’s honored the game,” Pelinka said of the four-time champion and all-time leading NBA scorer. “He’s given so much to his teammates, to this organization. And the thing we want to do more than anything else is honor him back.”
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The first order of business there is allowing him to spend the time he needs to decide what his next steps are,” Pelinka said. In his eighth season with the Lakers, James averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 33.2 minutes per game, earning his 22nd straight All-Star selection. “Of course any team, including ours, would love to have LeBron James on their roster.”
But Pelinka said that as the Lakers look forward, they will be seeking to add players to complement Luka Doncic, who led the league with 33.5 points per game but missed the playoffs with a hamstring strain. “The archetype of the roster that we want is going to be retrofitted around Luka and the things he needs,” Pelinka said. “Clearly he’s that leader and player for the future.”
Austin Reaves, who has emerged as a key offensive contributor as he averaged a career-high 23.3 points per game, will also become a free agent, and Pelinka said the Lakers would like to re-sign him. “He started his journey here as a Laker and has made it very clear to us that he wants his journey to continue as a Laker,” Pelinka said. “And we feel the same way.”
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