Lakers News: Expert Pessimistic About LA Next Year, With Or Without LeBron James

LA had a stellar postseason run this season.

When Duke legend-turned-ESPN commentator Jay Williams put together his top five list of title contenders next season for a recent episode of "Keyshawn J Will & Max," Los Angeles Lakers fans can be forgiven for taking umbrage with a certain glaring omission.

Although the Lakers did finish in this year's final four, getting swept in the Western Conference Finals by the Denver Nuggets, Williams is a bit more pessimistic about their prospects this year. Cohost Max Kellerman questioned this choice.

"They're probably gonna get better this offseason," Kellerman opined. "They have certain foundational pieces, they think they've added the right pieces, and now they're either... going to add to that or maybe you make your move to bring in another superstar, they're probably going to be better. So how do you have a team that was in the conference finals, and competed in each game with.. what you believe [is] the best team in the league clearly, and is likely to get better, not there next year?"

"'Cause I worry about 'Bron," Williams explained. "I legitimately worry about 'Bron. 39 years old, this stage in his career, seeing how his injuries accumulated... I'm not saying LeBron can't do it... you see it when it catches up to them at the end, where he ran out of gas."

This move to add another theoretical superstar would either require the Lakers to renounce their rights to restricted free agents Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves and sign a free agent outright, or add another player in a sign-and-trade deal.

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