The Los Angeles Lakers are entering a pivotal offseason. They are facing massive questions about their stars, coaching staff, and the rest of the roster.

The most obvious question is the future of LeBron James. The 39-year-old superstar refused to commit to Los Angeles after the loss to the Denver Nuggets and he has a player option for the 2024-25 season. There is a chance he will opt out and become an unrestricted free agent in the summer.

This would be a major blow for the Lakers. It would signal the end of an era and would likely require rebuilding. Since this is a top-heavy team led by Anthony Davis and LeBron James, removing one from the equation means that the team is no longer viable as a competitive group.

Therefore, if James were to leave, there would be more dominoes to fall. Here are three names who would likely follow him out the door.

1. Anthony Davis

AD and LeBron’s fates have been connected at the hip for the past five seasons. James wanted Davis to join him in Los Angeles the moment he signed there in 2018. Once Davis got there, the Lakers won a championship in his first season but failed to repeat the same success in consequent years, with Davis’ injuries being a large part of it.

Davis turned 31 recently and constant injuries have sapped his athleticism and mobility. He is still an excellent defensive player and was surprisingly healthy last season, but he is not the dominant two-way force he has been in previous years. His shot has abandoned him and his offensive game has taken a step back.

If LeBron were to leave this summer, it doesn’t make much sense for the Lakers to keep Davis around. They can still get a lot of value in return for AD in a potential trade, so they should look to get younger players and draft picks for him instead.

Davis is under contract for four more seasons and is due over $70 million in the 2027-28 season. LeBron’s departure will trigger a rebuild and you don’t want to pay Anthony Davis in his mid-30s that kind of money in that situation.

2. D’Angelo Russell

This might happen regardless of what LeBron James decides. Russell also has a player option for next season worth $18.6 million. After he had a healthy, productive season with the Lakers in the regular season, Russell is likely to opt-out of that and get a lucrative, long-term deal for similar annual value.

At this point, the Lakers are all too familiar with strengths and weaknesses of Russell’s game. He is a good regular-season player, capable of scoring, running the pick-and-roll, and playmaking at a decent level. In the playoffs, however, his effectiveness takes a huge hit as he struggles to create good shots against good defenses. He also brings his own defensive liabilities on the other end, making him a tough fit on good, competitive teams.

Russell is a much better fit on a team with lower aspirations. A team chasing the playoffs or a young team looking for someone to organize their offense could benefit from Russell. If LeBron leaves, the Lakers might become that type of team and could use Russell.

However, giving him a multi-year deal that takes him into his 30s would be a big mistake for the Lakers. You don’t want to end up with a contract that will be hard to get out of later, so it’s best to just avoid it altogether.

3. GM Rob Pelinka

If LeBron James, it will represent the end of an era in Los Angeles. During LeBron’s time with the Lakers, the key decision-maker has been Rob Pelinka. The former agent who took over the general manager position in March 2017 has a mixed bag record during his tenure.

It is safe to say that Pelinka got extremely lucky when LeBron James decided to play in Los Angeles a year after he took office. Then, James had a huge role in recruiting Anthony Davis there, and the duo led the team to a championship.

This earned Pelinka a contract extension, but it’s difficult to argue that he covered himself in glory outside of that championship year.

The mistake that defined Pelinka’s tenure with the Lakers was breaking up the 2020 championship team. After the Lakers flamed out of the 2021 playoffs due to injuries, Pelinka pulled off a massive trade to bring the Russell Westbrook trade.

In this deal, the Lakers lost Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma, and Montrezl Harrell. Danny Green and Alex Caruso also left in subsequent free agencies, leaving the Lakers with an ill-fitting team. Imagine if Caruso, Kuzma, and KCP were still on this team. Instead, Los Angeles had role players who couldn’t shoot or defend for the past two seasons, the only two things you need to do playing next to James and AD.

Pelinka had six full seasons of LeBron James in his tenure. The Lakers only made it past the first round twice in these six seasons. He had two losing seasons in the meantime. Having arguably the greatest basketball player of all-time for six years and only making it past the first-round twice is a fireable offense. His time with the Lakers should come to an end regardless of what happens with LeBron James.