Lakers Wise to Prep for LeBron James' Retirement amid Anthony Davis Contract Rumors

Much of the spotlight surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason has focused on the team's plans to contend in the 2023-24 season.

Los Angeles has added potential key contributors like Gabe Vincent and Jaxson Hayes while retaining integral players like Austin Reaves Rui Hachimura and D'Angelo Russell. As Los Angeles continues searching for a big to fill its final roster spot—it has done "significant background work" on Christian Wood, according to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times—the Lakers' focus seems to be entirely on the coming campaign.

However, Rob Pelinka and the Lakers' brass have quietly done a solid job of focusing on a future without LeBron James too.

James announced his desire to return for the 2023-24 season last week at the ESPYs, but he acknowledged that retirement is on his mind.

"The day I can't give the game everything on the floor is the day I'll be done. Lucky for you guys, that day is not today," James said (h/t Jovan Buha of The Athletic).

James' retirement could come as early as next offseason, and even if he does return for a 22nd season, it may not be in Los Angeles. His contract includes a player option for the 2024-25 season, and the 38-year-old has previously expressed interest in teaming up with his son, Bronny James, when and if the younger James reaches the NBA.

There's a chance that if a team drafts Bronny in 2024, it will also wind up landing LeBron.

Pelinka and Co. know that this year could be L.A.'s last with James, and they have avoided mortgaging the future in order to win now. While many of the additions will provide immediate help, the Lakers used draft picks on Jalen Hood-Schifino and Maxwell Lewis instead of flipping them for veteran talent.

Los Angeles also used two-way contracts on rookies Colin Castleton and D'Moi Hodge, players who could potentially be pieces of the franchise's future along with fellow Summer League standout Max Christie.

However, the biggest piece of evidence to suggest L.A. is considering its future is the franchise's reported desire to extend Anthony Davis sooner than later. ESPN's Dave McMenamin is "fairly confident" that Davis will land a new deal before training camp.

"Anthony Davis in Rob [Pelinka's] estimation is someone that has represented the Lakers really well, citing how he played through his foot injury last year as a major reason why they won a championship in 2020 and he wants to continue to have Anthony Davis as a Laker," McMenamin said on The Lowe Post podcast (h/t Zach Stevens of Lakers Daily).

Like James, Davis could potentially depart next offseason under his current contract terms via an early termination option.

As McMenamin noted, Davis can have more value to the Lakers as a long-term building block than as a future trade chip. Theoretically, Los Angeles could extend Davis and trade him to help jump-start a rebuild whenever James departs, but that doesn't appear to be the plan.

According to McMenamin, the Lakers have taken Davis' preferences into account while building their current roster.

McMenamin said the following on The Lowe Post (h/t Jacob Rude of Silver Screen and Roll):

"Anthony Davis has been pounding the drum ever since he arrived in LA that he doesn't like to max out his minutes at the five. His body takes a beating. He likes having a big next to him for rim protection purposes...The team not only listened to him in the acquisition of Jaxson Hayes but made sure it was known that they listened to him."

The Lakers simply wouldn't put in the effort to appease Davis this year if they planned on it being his last.

Keeping Davis beyond this year would be a smart move by L.A. While his injury history is concerning, the 30-year-old is still an elite player when healthy. In the post-James era, Davis can be the new centerpiece and veteran leader of the locker room.

A core group of Davis, Reaves, Hachimura, Christie, Hood-Schifino and perhaps Lewis, Hodge and Castleton will provide a fine foundation upon which to build a playoff contender. If the Lakers can find another star to partner with Davis and Reaves, they might even remain among the favorites in the Western Conference.

That's where Los Angeles finds itself now. Getting past teams like the Denver Nuggets and the new-look Golden State Warriors won't be easy. However, the Lakers should be chasing a championship in what very well could be James' final season with the franchise.

While it hasn't gotten a ton of attention amid the push for a title, the Lakers are also doing an excellent job of ensuring that the floor won't simply fall out from under them when James moves on.