Lakers' biggest offseason 'mistake' revealed as LeBron and Bronny James push for a title together
It is easy to look at LeBron James’ career and wonder what else he could possibly accomplish in the NBA. In a historic 21-year career, James has broken the NBA record for points scored in a career while winning as many championships as MVP awards (four). He has been selected to each and every All-Star Game since 2005 while warranting 20 All-NBA selections and making six All-Defensive teams.

But James’ star running mate Anthony Davis claims that LeBron’s career won’t be whole without another NBA championship, his fifth. Weeks after winning his third Olympic gold medal with USA Basketball, the focus is quickly shifting back toward the 2024/25 NBA season — and whether LeBron has played a part in the Lakers’ “falling behind” their rivals.

Bronny is a big ‘mistake’
The Athletic’s John Hollinger has written that inking guard Max Christie to a $32 million extension is the Lakers’ biggest mistake in a summer that saw the franchise prioritize LeBron’s happiness while watching Klay Thompson join the Dallas Mavericks, Demar DeRozan sign for the in-state rival Sacramento Kings, and Dejounte Murray head for the New Orleans Pelicans.

In response to those moves, the Lakers signed Christie — a player who started just seven times and shot a pedestrian 36 percent from 3-point range — to a four-year contract and drafted LeBron’s son Bronny, a move that has engendered significant criticism in light of his Summer League struggles and the fact that he has signed a four-year contract worth nearly $8 million, highly-unusual for a 55th overall pick.

The Lakers will hope Dalton Knecht, their other 2024 draft pick, emerges as a premier rotation option early in his career. Los Angeles will also hope that Bronny shows enough to warrant NBA minutes and thus make history with LeBron as the NBA’s first-ever active father-son duo. But that narrative alone won’t satisfy the rabid championship ambitions in the Lakers’ fanbase — ambitions that don’t seem to be matched by the front office’s moves after taking into account from LA’s Western Conference rivals.