The Lakers acquired Luka Dončić at the trade deadline. Dončić is 26. If the Lakers manage their roster around him properly, they could contend with him for the next 8-10 years. James might only have 8-10 months.

LeBron James made the surprising decision to pick up his $52.6 million player option instead of signing a new max deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.

James’s agent, Rich Paul, released a statement along with the announcement from ESPN’s Shams Charania that made it clear his client “wants to compete for a championship” and that he understands that the Lakers are “preparing for the future.”