LeBron and Lakers Front Office Face Major Disagreement per New Report

The Los Angeles Lakers entered a new era with the hiring of JJ Redick as the franchise's new head coach. The weight of that decision has now been lifted off the shoulders of Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss, but the difficult decisions start now. The Lakers have plenty of challenges awaiting them as they try to build a championship-caliber roster.

The biggest challenge of them all is how to navigate LeBron James and Anthony Davis's desires to win in the present versus the organizational desire to be a sustainable winner in the long run. The latest reporting by The Athletic suggests that this difference in opinion may be a huge point of conflict between the two stars and the front office.

New Report Signals Disagreement Between LeBron and Lakers' Front Office

Sam Amick reported on Tuesday that LeBron James and Anthony Davis would prefer the Lakers go all-in and trade for a third star. However, GM Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick didn't sound like they were desperately trying to do that. In fact, they both highlighted the importance of "the group" rather than the stars, and mentioned the Lakers' young core as an important part of the future of the franchise.

"And if the franchise cornerstones had their way, league sources say, the Lakers would prove their desire to win this week by going all-in for another elite player."

- Sam Amick, The Athletic

Those are two very different ideas about how to build a winning roster. LeBron and Davis are justified in their desire to go all-in to win another championship. James is approaching 40 and doesn't have too many seasons left in the NBA. They likely know that they aren't going to be competitive in the Western Conference when their third and fourth-best players are Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura.

If Redick and Pelinka refuse to make a splashy move because they believe in the potential of Hachimura, Max Christie, or Jalen Hood-Schifino, that is a massive mistake. None of those players have the upside to be real difference-makers in the league and shouldn't be an obstacle in the way of building a contender.

"As messaging goes, [Redick and Pelinka] didn’t exactly make it sound like a significant upgrade to the roster was happening anytime soon"

- Sam Amick, The Athletic

Perhaps the front office was intentionally trying to increase their leverage in trade negotiations. They can't be that delusional to think that they can have their cake and eat it too. If you have LeBron James and Anthony Davis, you have to surround them with the best talent possible, not bench players you are hoping to turn into starters.

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