It is no secret that as soon as the Lakers lost to the Nuggets this past Monday that the questions would begin. Nobody with their LeBron James prediction would have guessed that retirement would have come up, but in fact it did.
He is talking openly about not knowing his next steps, and while under contract for another few seasons with LA, could take time away and come back. It would be wildly unexpected that he does not have a farewell tour, a player of his caliber wanting to allow fans to know the last time they are getting to see him.
The Spotlight on LeBron James
Few, if any NBA players have had a better career than this man has in the modern era, so whatever James does, it is going to attract a lot of attention. He has stayed out of all negative limelight for more than 20 years, while facing pressure to be the greatest player in the league’s history all the while.
2024 Lakers prop bets are a little iffy at the moment, but the team should be proud of what they did this season. Nikola Jokic was always going to be hard for them to eliminate, let alone take a single game off of.
As we look toward the future, all folks can think about is LeBron’s comments over these last few seasons. His son Bronny will be attending USC this year, and will be heading to the league after that.
Can James hang around long enough to play with Jr.? That is the question on everyone’s minds.
The Lakers Murky Future
This season saw LA start 2-10, a disastrous beginning no matter how you measure it. They revamped the roster at the trade deadline, moving some pieces in and others out. The Lakers wound up with a similar situation to what LeBron’s 2018 Cavaliers had.
They traded half their players at the deadline to bring in those they thought could come in and help them win. Chemistry got in the way for the Lakers, as they struggled to make big plays when the season was truly on the line.
Potential Sign-and-Trade Scenario
The acquisitions from the Jazz did not contribute when push came to shove. 2024 Lakers prop bets need to take into account that the roster could look even more different at the start of the 2023-24 campaign. Will Dennis Schroder re-sign and now become the starting one? Do they sign-and-trade D’Angelo Russell after his poor play in the postseason? A No.7 seed making a conference finals run is no small feat. They should be proud of what they did.
NBA odds won’t look too kindly on them. NBA rumors may threaten to squash them. But if James and Anthony Davis do return next season, anything can happen. The team has the talent to make the playoffs if they can stay healthy.
The word HEALTHY needs to be in all caps, as Davis has struggled mightily to stay on the court since joining the LakeShow. James has never logged 70 games in a single year during his time here after proving rather durable during those tenures in both Miami and Cleveland.
The 2024 Lakers prop bets will be dictated by whatever it is James chooses to do this offseason.
Reuniting with Bronny?
If LeBron James does in fact play with his son in two seasons, it would be incredible to see. The amount of leadership he can instill in him during his first campaign would allow for an even brighter future. We also have to see this year as a collective just how he performs against better talent. As great as some folks are in high school, they never make the transition to being great in college.
USC will give him all the opportunities to be a star, and if he comes in ready, he will vault his draft stock. The bigger part of the equation is that whoever drafts him could wind up with LeBron. Or, if he is still in LA, the team could move some pieces to bring him in. But, what type of package would command somebody that LeBron would be dying to play with?
Perhaps he just opts out and joins him somewhere. It would be incredible if it happened.
If you love sports and want more sports betting information follow us as @InsidersBetDig on Twitter and sign up to our mailing list for free betting picks.