Lakers ‘would love to have’ LeBron James, but that’s not the offseason priority

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Though Rob Pelinka said the Los Angeles Lakers are open to re-signing LeBron James should he decide to play a 24th NBA season, the primary goal this offseason is to “retrofit” the roster around Luka Dončić.

“In terms of LeBron, we probably haven’t seen a player that has honored the game to the extent that he’s honored the game. 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,” the Lakers’ general manager and president of basketball operations said. “And I think the first order of business there is allowing him to spend the time he needs to decide what his next steps are. Does he want to play another year in the NBA? And that’ll be, as he said to you guys last night, family time, I think time with his inner circle. And we just want to honor that for him.

“Of course, any team, including ours, would love to have LeBron James on their roster.”

The Lakers are entering an offseason in which James is one of a handful of free-agency decisions facing the team. Tuesday, a day after the Lakers were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals, Pelinka and Lakers coach JJ Reddick said building a championship roster around Dončić is the priority.

“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 that player for the future that we want to build the right way around.”

Pelinka was more resolute when discussing Austin Reaves, who is expected to decline his $14.9 million player option and become a free agent. Some rivals predict Reaves, who turns 28 later this month, could earn as much as $40 million per year.

“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. And we feel the same way,” Pelinka said. “We want his odyssey to continue to unfold in the purple and gold. As you know … there’s rules and timing to all of that, but I think both sides have made it abundantly clear that we want to work something out where he continues his prolific career here.”

Pelinka said he thought there were pathways for the Lakers to re-sign Reaves and James, should the 41-year-old want to play, and address the team’s needs — adding two-way, athletic wings, lob threats and shooting — when it comes to optimizing Dončić.

“There’s 15 roster spots. You mentioned three players,” Pelinka said when asked about Reaves, James and Dončić. “That leaves you with 12 others to build around. There’s the three two-way spots, and we’ve seen two-way players emerge and make a difference in regular-season wins. So, we have enough tools in our tool chest to build out a team, for sure. And JJ and I have a lot of confidence in our ability to do that this offseason and to start next fall with a team that we’re all super proud of that can get to the end.”

Pelinka said Tuesday that the Lakers plan to hire a pair of assistant general managers, one leading scouting and development and another to lead strategy and analytics. The team will also use the space created by the G League South Bay Lakers’ move to the Coachella Valley to renovate the practice facility and add biomechanical and medical spaces.

“It’s a full rebuild and retool, and it’s adding to the great things that are already here, which have led to success, but elevating it and bringing it to the next level,” Pelinka said of the changes. “So, an ongoing process that we’ll be doing throughout the offseason.”