LeBron James, Jeanie Buss interviews raise questions about his Lakers future

It seems that the Lakers and LeBron James might not be on the same page about the future of the team.

On Tuesday, an interview with the team’s owner, Jeanie Buss, made it clear that she’s committed to a long-term future with James. Meanwhile, in a separate interview James said that he’s watching other teams’ future first-round picks.

While discussing James re-signing with the Lakers on a two-year $97.1 million contract extension, Buss told The Athletic that “it’s a priority to the Laker brand that he retire a Laker.”

But James, a four-time NBA champion who led the Lakers to a title in the 2020 NBA bubble season, told Sports Illustrated that he’s “paying attention” to future first-round picks to possibly play with his sons if they decide to pursue their own NBA careers.

“I’d definitely be looking at who got first-round picks in 2024, 2025, things of that nature; 2026, ’27,” James said. “I pay attention to that type of stuff.”

James — who has a player option for 2024-25 — left the door open when asked if there is a chance he could stick around to play with his youngest son, Bryce, who is 15.

“I feel like I could play for quite a while,” he said. “So it’s all up to my body, but more importantly, my mind. If my mind can stay sharp and fresh and motivated, then the sky’s not even a limit for me. I can go beyond that. But we shall see.”

James has made it known that he wants to play with his oldest son, Bronny, who is entering his senior year at Sierra Canyon High School and is a top prospect for the class of 2023.

But this is believed to be the first time he has mentioned the possibility of holding out his playing career until his youngest son is draft-eligible.

As for Buss, she said she is staying “cautiously optimistic” about James re-signing with the Lakers.

“LeBron is a very passionate person, and he wants to be put in a position where he can succeed,” she said. “And it’s up to people like me and [GM] Rob [Pelinka] and our front office to put him in those kinds of positions.

“He felt that what he heard [in an emergency meeting in February following rumblings of a Cleveland reunion] was what he wanted to hear and made him feel confident going forward and I couldn’t be more happy that he sees that we want to win just as much as he does and that there’s a lot of great things that are going to happen while he’s a Laker. …Whatever our private conversations are, he showed his faith in us by signing that extension.

Buss added that “changes needed to be made” after last season, when the 33-49 Lakers failed to make the playoffs, which she called a “huge disappointment.”

The team’s current plans include its recent acquisition of standout defender Patrick Beverley, whom the Lakers traded for last week. But that move also stirred up questions about where point guard Russell Westbrook would fit within the roster — a separate report by The Athletic said that Beverley’s arrival is indicative that Westbrook will be off the active roster.

“Pat Beverley was brought here to play defense, to be that guy that knows how to push his teammates, [who] sets an example with how he approaches his job,” Buss said. “The day of the trade, he was already here after work hours working out. I got a chance to say hello to him as I was leaving for the day. He just brings that work ethic that we value, that coach [Darvin] Ham values and is going to be a leader in the locker room.

“So it has nothing to do with Russ. And like I said, I think that people, they love to pull up storylines and create something and that just isn’t the case.”

Buss also said it’s about “managing personalities” within the Lakers roster.

“And coach Ham is prepared and fearless when it comes to stuff like that.”