The Los Angeles Lakers just pulled off a franchise-altering move, acquiring Luka Doncic in a blockbuster trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks. The move instantly altered the Lakers’ trajectory, replacing Davis with a 25-year-old superstar and extending their championship window. Naturally, it also shifted the conversation back to LeBron James and what this means for his career.
Even at 40, LeBron is still putting up superstar numbers, averaging 24.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 9.0 assists on 51.6% shooting from the field. The retirement chatter has been around for years, but with Doncic now in Los Angeles, there’s a real argument that LeBron’s timeline just got extended.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst recently broke down what the trade means for the Lakers moving forward, but in doing so, he may have unintentionally sparked more speculation about LeBron’s career. He believes LeBron isn’t close to retirement and could still help the Lakers contend next season.
“I really like what the Lakers have on their roster,” Windhorst said, via ESPN’s Get Up. “I believe that they can add a big man over the summer, and I really like where they’re going to be going into next season. And unlike other people, I don’t think the end is near for LeBron James. I think he’s got runway left. I think he can still be an All-NBA player next year. And I see no reason why, they can’t be a year from now, a team that can be really hunting for that title.”
