James and the Lakers remain far apart heading into free agency.
LeBron James is 41 years old, coming off his 23rd NBA season, and for the first time, nobody seems sure what happens next.
The four-time champion is an unrestricted free agent with free agency opening on June 30, and the early conversations between his camp and the Los Angeles Lakers have barely gone anywhere.
There is no deal in place, no salary numbers being thrown around, and no guarantee James even wants to play next season.
The Latest on Talks
ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported on SportsCenter that the discussions between the two sides have been surface-level at best.
"My understanding, had initial conversations with LeBron James' representative, but he has not even fully committed to returning next year in these conversations," Shelburne said. "The conversations were described to me as 'we're keeping in touch.' Okay, so there's no commitment to even returning or salary figures being discussed."
That is a very different picture from what was floating around the league just days ago, when the general feeling was that James would come back to Los Angeles for at least one more year.
The Lakers went 53-29 this season and beat the Houston Rockets in six games before getting swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round.
James played 60 regular-season games, averaging 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds while shooting 51.5 percent from the field.
Those numbers are solid, but they also tell the story of a player who spent most of the year as the third option behind Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
What the Lakers Should Offer
Los Angeles should not be anywhere near a max deal.
James earned $52.6 million last season, and paying him anything close to that figure would choke the roster flexibility the front office badly needs this summer.
ESPN's Bobby Marks floated a one-year, $30 million contract, and something in that range feels right.
A deal like that would keep James paid fairly while giving the Lakers room to re-sign Reaves, bring back Rui Hachimura and go after the center they desperately need using the mid-level exception.
Why the Lakers Can Survive Without Him
This part is uncomfortable, but the Los Angeles Lakers have moved past the LeBron James era whether he comes back or not.
Their sweep against the Thunder exposed real holes at center and on the defensive end, and those problems should be driving the offseason.
The franchise has been open about building around Doncic, and Reaves is the long-term backcourt piece next to him.
Pouring big money into James' age-42 season comes at the expense of fixing the gaps that ended their postseason.
If the price is right, keeping him around still has value.
But if he wants a number anywhere near last year's salary, the Lakers would be smarter to put that money toward players who fit where this team is going.
