Rachel Nichols

I just expected more of that, and so far they've been up, up, up, and we'll have to see if they can get to the finals before they go down, down, down, because they're not beating either of these Western Conference teams.

Well, look, the Lakers have to make the first move in these negotiations.

And I think that leak, which absolutely Jason's right, happens for a reason.

I think that leak was about setting where the Lakers first move should be.

It can't be at that 14 million.

It's got to be higher.

So we'll have to see what the Lakers do.

Do they offer him the kind of salary he wants?

And more importantly, and Colin, you know I've been saying this for months, it's about the role as well.

And that was part of that story.

What kind of player do they want him to be for them?

And I think those two questions are going to have to come from... The answers are going to have to come from the Lakers' side before the entire league can get in position about LeBron James.

Because if they come with enough, LeBron wants to stay in LA.

He's made it clear in all the ways that he loves living here, his family's here, his wife and daughter, who are the ones who still live at home, love it here.

So I think that...

If the Lakers want to keep him, they can keep him.

But if they don't want to, because as you said, not because he's a bad player or because he's past it, but just because they have other priorities building around Luka.

they're going to say, look, take it or leave it.

And there's a good chance that after this leak, we see LeBron leave it.

And we'll have to see if that's to retire, if that's to go to Cleveland, if that's to go to a place like Golden State.