Jazz should be concerned about the growing rift between LeBron James and Lakers

The one advantage of tanking like the Utah Jazz is that there is no immediate pressure on the team to succeed. Lacking a proven superstar (for Utah, this could change in an instant), the Jazz can ride the wave with little resistance. That’s not the case with the Los Angeles Lakers, whose rumors of a feud with LeBron James not only affect them but could also negatively impact the Jazz’s hopes of striking gold in free agency by signing Austin Reaves.

ESPN’s Shams Charania confirmed on “The Pat McAfee Show” that James and the Lakers are on hiatus, but did not specify exactly whether that meant he would leave once this season is over.

Whether he leaves in free agency or retires in the summer, it sounds like James and the Lakers are done. It’s been hinted at since the Lakers opted not to extend him this summer, and now it feels like there’s enough smoke now to believe the LeBron era in Hollywood will end this year.

So with him gone, the Lakers have an added incentive to keep Austin Reaves, who will likely hit free agency because he’s due for a big raise this season. LA already had a taste of keeping Reaves past this season, but James’ departure only makes that clearer.

What would the Jazz do if Reaves re-signed with the Lakers?

This is a rhetorical question because it’s hard to understand what Utah would do if they didn’t get Reaves. They could re-sign some of their free agents, like Jusuf Nurkic, who has been great, but that would be anticlimactic. The team could also absorb a contract. This offseason, the Jazz will have the space to use it or lose it, as they also need to confront the Keyonte George elephant in the room as quickly as possible.

Reaves is the simplest option because there are no issues involved, but Utah knows it has to do something this offseason. So even if he does go back to the Lakers, they should explore every possible option, whether it’s through the trade market or the free agency market.

It’s not the end of the world if Utah misses out on the Lakers’ breakout star, but this is a rare opportunity to improve. The Jazz have a better foundation and will likely add to it from the lottery this summer. It hurts to add more star power right away if they don’t get the chance to do it again next summer, but who says they don’t have a backup plan?

Getting back to James, this whole Lakers ordeal would also open up the possibility of LeBron joining the Jazz, but there’s no need to kid ourselves, Jazz fans…