Everything Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick Said About LeBron James' Exit, Luka Doncic, Lakers' Offseason

It will be a new era for the Los Angeles Lakers after LeBron James departed for the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason, but the Purple and Gold are still thankful for their time with the King.

"It was a great era, and we're grateful for it," Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka told reporters Thursday.

He also explained James and his agent, Rich Paul, informed Los Angeles they planned on signing elsewhere, which prompted a pivot from the front office to focus elsewhere:

That pivot meant building the roster around Luka Dončić as the clear-cut franchise cornerstone. While Dončić is one of the best players in the league, James casts a large presence as one of the greatest to ever take the court in NBA history.

Yet with the future Hall of Famer now on the 76ers, this is Dončić's team moving forward.

And Pelinka addressed what that meant:

Surrounding Dončić with bigs who can catch his lobs and work off his penetration and ball-handling made the most sense, and the Lakers added Walker Kessler in a notable move.

Head coach JJ Redick did not hold back when discussing the center:

Still, James' departure was the biggest headline of the Lakers' offseason.

After all, he played eight seasons for Los Angeles, which stands as his longest stretch of consecutive years for one team. While he played for the Cleveland Cavaliers for 11 seasons, that was split across two different stints of seven and four years.

Those eight years with the Lakers included the 2020 championship, eight All-Star nods, seven All-NBA selections and him becoming the all-time leading scorer in NBA history.

Whenever someone with a list of accomplishments like that changes teams, it is going to generate headlines.

But Pelinka called the split "amicable" and "respectful," suggesting there is no ill-will on either side.

Attention will eventually turn to the upcoming campaign, which begins on Oct. 21 against the Golden State Warriors. Dončić and Austin Reaves will be the focal point, but the supporting cast's ability to elevate their own games could determine the ceiling for the team.

Along those lines, Redick said "there are a lot of minutes" and "starting spots" for the taking during training camp.

Let the competition begin.