LeBron James is not trying to influence Lakers front office, reportedly ‘simply hoping that Pelinka & Co. get it right’

Coming fresh off of a disappointing season, the Los Angeles Lakers will look to regroup and rebuild around LeBron James this summer. However, James, who has a reputation for being a vocal and hands on approach with the teams he plays for, reportedly doesn’t plan on disrupting whatever plan they have in place.

Despite reports that have suggested James is unhappy with the current state of the Lakers, he’s willing to wait and see what the front office’s plan is going forward, according Sam Amick and Bill Oram of The Athletic:

As he enters Year No. 2 of his four-year deal (fourth-year player option), all indications point to LeBron simply hoping that Pelinka & Co. get it right while offering his voice on matters in a measured manner along the way. LeBron, by all accounts, is sensitive to the perception that he attempts to run the show behind the scenes and, as such, has taken this tact.

As was widely reported at the time, he was as stunned by Johnson’s departure as the rest of us. It’s unclear how much faith he has in Pelinka’s ability to lead the way here, or where their relationship stands after one year together, but that dynamic will certainly be pivotal going forward.LeBron pushed back hard on the notion that he has lost faith in the Lakers in an Instagram video on Thursday.

Per the report, James anticipated that his first season in Los Angeles would have some twists and turns:

Strange as it might sound, sources close to LeBron insist he always knew that Year No. 1 might have to be messy in order for the Lakers to truly recalibrate for the rest of his Los Angeles run.

The first step in general manager Rob Pelinka’s to rebuild the Lakers is hiring a coach. Would James be all the way on board with the front office hiring Philadelphia 76ers assistant Monty Williams knowing that his former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue interviewed for the job? Only time will tell.

Once the Lakers hire a coach, they will shift their attention to the NBA Draft and shortly after that, free agency. Will they flip their lottery pick to pair James with an All-Star or will they try their luck with some of the biggest names in the NBA on July 1? Those will be key decisions, and ones they’ll have to make without James’ assistance.

Let’s hope they can get it right, or else the relationship between James and the Lakers could actually start to sour.

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