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Welcome back to first take. It has been a busy off-season so far for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Last week, our Shams Terania reported that Austin Reeves intends to sign a four-year $185 million

max contract to return to the Lakers, which is the richest contract in NBA history for an undrafted

player. Meanwhile, LeBron James, future up in the air as he is set to become a free agent tonight. James' average career lows last season, points per game, minutes per game. He also did not make an all-NBA team for the first time since his rookie season. The Lakers continue to be busy. They're scheduled to meet with Pistons restricted free agent center, Jalen Duren, today, a source familiar with the situation told ESPN.

Durin, 22 years old, coming off being named to the All-NBA third team.

So, David, as we know from Schaam's reporting, the Lakers might be having some issues with the

phones. Getting LeBron James on the phone. Doesn't sound like there's been a whole ton of communication. Certainly no offer to James just yet. So that obviously opens up

the question about what if not Los Angeles? What if he moves on somewhere else? And what does

it mean if he decides to leave L.A. as a free agent? I think L.A. is going to be fine about it.

Like the L.A., what they have shown us is a team that doesn't really seem too concerned about this. Like, if you, I'm not buying this hole. We couldn't get them on the phone. We couldn't text them all this stuff. Matthew Delavadova just pulled up on LeBron James or halfway across the country or across the world so they can go have some drinks and smoke who could do whatever they were doing out there if the lakers want to get in contact with lebron james they can get

in contact with lebron james this feels like a breakup that you want the other person to do the

breaking up like i think the lakers are ready to move in to the luka dantsich era of los angeles

whether you agree with it or not they've been been doing this LeBron James thing for a very long time. And I think part of this is the Lakers taking a little bit of pleasure in the fact that they finally have a little bit of leverage with the LeBron thing. You've got to think, LeBron James has come into L.A., and everybody said, this is LeBron James squad now. He runs this thing. He gets to tell you to go get Russell Westbrook. He tells you guys to go draft his kid. He tells you guys to get J.J. Redick as a coach. And the Lakers have had to sit back and listen to that and say, hey, well, yeah, we were saying also, LeBron James got you a championship. And the Lakers are a proud organization. Now they're taking a little bit of pleasure in the fact that they have some leverage in LeBron James his contract situation. And it would not be the worst thing for the Lakers internally, whether we're taking from an X and O basketball standpoint. I think they're obviously a better team with LeBron James on there. But for the Lakers, I think part of what they want to do is just move on to the Luca Dantage era. They want to do the Luca. They want to do Austin Reeves. They want to build around him. And they certainly do not want to give LeBron James $50 million to come back. So for them, the easiest thing for them is for LeBron to say, hey, I'm not picking up

the phone, I'm going to Golden State for $15 million.

I want to play with Steph Curry.

So the Lakers do not have to look like the team that said goodbye to LeBron James.

Well, for one, just the brass tax of it.

LeBron has a $58.5 million cap hold that prevents the Lakers from doing real business unless they renounce his rights or come to a deal with him.

So that's something that has to be figured out in the next seven to eight hours.

Anything can happen.

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