Does it Matter *Why* LeBron James Stays with the Lakers? Plus, How Do Fans Connect With the 2020 Title?

The show - which covers issues ranging from LeBron James' future in Los Angeles to Rob Pelinka's difficult upcoming offseason to the Lakers' 2020 championship's place among other purple and gold titles to Anthony Davis' health to Russell Westbrook -is mostly centered around a comment left by Socrates Thalassos on the Locked On Lakers YouTube page: "Lakers future looks very bleak. Aging LBJ. Always Damaged Aggression Deficient. No draft picks-expect them to trade 27 and 29 to help with next year and to get off Russ. A passive aggressive drama fuels the next 3 years of LBJ, since I think he probably will sign the extension because he wants to stay in LA, not because he wants to stay with the Lakers. After that a totally empty cupboard with maybe Austin Reaves, Wenyen Gabriel and some undrafted projects in it. If we're lucky they'll be as much fun as the Baby Lakers were. Next title maybe 2035 if they're lucky. More likely 2040. But hey a bubble championship in 2020!... Or blow it up, trade AD and LBJ for as much as you can get, let Russ play out his contract without spending assets to get rid of him and jump start the whole process. With any luck, in 3 to 5 years you're a contender again." That led to all sorts of discussion. It starts with a quick review of the way the roster performed - or didn't, more precisely - as logged by The Athletic's Jovan Buha in his Lakers Report Card. The point wasn't to parse the grades, but note how badly the Lakers missed on most of what they did, which explains the pessimism of Socrates. From there, it's LeBron talk. What happens if he's committed to Los Angeles and to staying here, even if he doesn't believe the Lakers will be able to deliver another title? Could the Lakers sell him, and the fans, on a vision that doesn't have them talking title in October? And finally, Socrates' comment about the bubble title prompted a Twitter inquiry that got A TON of response. How connected are Lakers fans to the 2020 title? HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: The Lakers get grades. What do they reveal about the roster? SEGMENT 2: How much do LeBron's priorities matter if his on-court output looks like it typically does? Could management sell fans on something short of high end title contention next year? SEGMENT 3: What kind of attachment do fans have to the 2020 title? Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! PrizePicks Check out PrizePicks.com and use promo code: “NBA” or go to your app store and download the app today. PrizePicks is daily fantasy made easy! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline BetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts! Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Shady Rays EXCLUSIVELY FOR OUR LISTENERS, HEAD TO SHADYRAYS.COM AND USE CODE LOCKEDON TO GET FIFTY PERCENT OFF TWO OR MORE PAIRS OF POLARIZED SUNGLASSES. Athletic Greens To make it easy, Athletic Greens is going to give you a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase. All you have to do is visit athleticgreens.com/NBANETWORK TrueBill Don’t fall for subscription scams. Start cancelling today at Truebill.com/LOCKEDONNBA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices