The Lakers kicked off one of their most important offseasons in recent franchise history on Sunday with the messy handling of Frank Vogel’s firing. It was hardly the right foot to start on, but emblematic of how the Lakers have operated over the last year-plus of the LeBron James era.
Still lingering over everything the Lakers are set to do in the coming months, however, is James, the man who brought Los Angeles a title and the man who could potentially depart the franchise after next season with just the one ring. James’ contract is set to expire after the 2022-23 season, and given how disastrously the season just ended, it would be fair to wonder what his future may hold.