When LeBron James made the monumental decision to join Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency, it was obvious that a roster around the King would now be crafted.
As the best player on earth with a closing window at 33-years-old, James has certain perks, including having a say in how his team’s roster looks. We’ve seen the Lakers make a slew of additions since James came aboard and according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, the team is consulting LeBron about their moves in free agency (h/t RealGM):
“They wouldn’t do anything without consulting (LeBron) at least,” said Ramona Shelburne. “I just checked on this. I got off the phone with both sides. The communication between LeBron and the Lakers is very strong right now and it will continue to be very strong.”
Shelburne confirmed it on her Twitter account, stating that James approves of the moves the Lakers have made thus far.
As you’d expect, I’m told the Lakers are pretty darn sure LeBron is fine with any move they’re making right now. The communication is already Strong between them.
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) July 2, 2018
This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, as we’ve seen this before on a team that rosters LeBron James. Not only that, but James and Magic Johnson also share a relationship so it’s not hard to believe the two are discussing potential roster alterations before executing them.
Of course now with almost all big-name free agents off the market including DeMarcus Cousins, the focus may shift over to swinging a trade for Kawhi Leonard. The Lakers have seemingly been trying to pry Leonard from the Spurs for some time now but it remains to be seen whether the situation reaches a resolution this offseason or if James is left as the lone true star on a young Lakers squad.
