Los Angeles Lakers

According to Evan Sidery of Forbes Sports, the Phoenix Suns "are hoping to pursue" LeBron James this offseason. While the multi-time MVP still needs to decline his $51.4 million player option with the Los Angeles Lakers, it appears more likely that he will test the open market over the summer. Of course, the Suns don't have the cash to offer James a lucrative deal, meaning he would need to consider taking significantly less if he hopes to team with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal. But he has made plenty of money throughout his career, so adding another championship to his resume could be a selling point. The Suns reportedly view Bronny James as "a very serious draft option," which could help Phoenix in their quest to add the NBA's All-Time leading scorer.

According to Kelly Iko of The Athletic, Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell is drawing interest from the Orlando Magic. The 28-year-old is coming off a quality season, averaging 18.0 points, 6.3 assists, and 3.1 rebounds. He also shot a career-high 41.5% from deep. He can earn nearly $19 million if he accepts his player option. But if Russell wants to test the market, the Magic could look to add some stability to their backcourt, something the team desperately needs. From a fantasy standpoint, he's expected to remain a reliable option no matter where he ends up, although injuries have sometimes overshadowed his play throughout his career.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Christian Wood has exercised his $3 million player option for the 2024-2025 season, per Michael Scotto of USA Today. Wood played in 50 games and averaged 6.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 17.4 minutes per contest. The 28-year-old's role with the Lakers for next season is difficult to predict since he was sparingly used in the team's rotation this past year.

Los Angeles Lakers forward/center Anthony Davis suffered a shoulder injury in Monday's Game 5 loss to Denver but was able to complete the game and logged 40 minutes. Davis was hurt late in the third quarter when he took a blow from behind to his left shoulder area by Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr.. He sat out the final four minutes of the quarter before playing the entire fourth as the Lakers desperately tried to remain alive in the series. Davis had another strong outing with 17 points, 15 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. The nine-time All-Star will be massively disappointed with the early playoff exit, but Davis had a lot of personal success in 2023-24. He played in a career-high 76 regular-season contests, setting his new record with 12.6 rebounds and averaging 24.7 points with 3.5 assists and 2.3 blocks.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James refused to commit himself to the team for next season after suffering the earliest playoff exit of his career at the hands of the Denver Nuggets on Monday. "I'm not going to answer that," James said when asked if he considered whether Monday's game could be his last with the Lakers. James, who went out in the first round for only the second time in his 21-year-career, also said he would eventually sit down with his agent, Rich Paul, and his family to evaluate "what's best for my career." The NBA's all-time leading scorer has a player option for next season worth $51.4 million. He has until June 29 to opt into the final year of his contract or become an unrestricted free agent. Despite turning 39 in December, James continued to post strong numbers in 2023-24, averaging 25.7 points with 7.3 rebounds, 8.3 assists, and 1.3 steals.