For a few moments, it felt like the Los Angeles Lakers had a chance to extend the Western Conference semifinal series with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Things were looking great for the Lakers in Game 4, as the shots were falling and they rallied back from a 12-point deficit. 

But the Thunder have this certain air of inevitability and, aided by some questionable end-game decisions, the outcome was the same and the sweep of Los Angeles was complete. 

The Lakers now enter the offseason with a ton of questions to answer. However, there is one question that will be the first domino to fall, one they themselves can’t answer: Is this the last time we see LeBron James in a Laker uniform or in the NBA for that matter? 

Recent years have seen questions on James’ future remain unanswered well into the offseason, but James is already in his 40s and he needed to sit out the first 14 games of the regular season due to sciatica. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer continues to keep Father Time at bay, but Father Time is gaining ground inch-by-inch. 

Losing James, whether to another team or retirement, is a big loss for Los Angeles, which, in the last eight years, saw him serve as a primary playmaker and even thrive as a third option this season. For his efforts, he was able to bring the franchise’s 17th NBA championship. Sure, the $52.6 million he earned this season is off the books and could help address some needs, but replacing what James can contribute is easier said than done. 

Then there’s the Luka Doncic situation. 

Doncic had his finest season as a Laker to date, and he had a late stretch of games that fed into his MVP campaign. Unfortunately, a Grade 2 left hamstring strain ended his season prematurely and he could only watch on the sidelines as his team survived the rest of the regular season, outlasted the Houston Rockets, and failed to register a victory in the second round. 

For Doncic, health will be his top priority and him focusing on his family instead of suiting up for the Slovenian national team should also help him recover. After all, he has been playing non-stop over the last few years, jumping straight into international competitions after at times lengthy postseason runs. 

From there, the rest will follow. Will Los Angeles sign Austin Reaves to an extension that could go as high as $40 million? How will the Lakers address the center position? Should Los Angeles bring back Rui Hachimura and Luke Kennard? What happens if DeAndre Ayton and Marcus Smart opt in? Is a run at Giannis Antetokounmpo in the cards? Is Lakers head coach JJ Reddick on the hot seat? All of these questions are looming large over Laker fans but more so the team’s front office. How they navigate through these questions will require some tough decisions as not all can come true (unless another trade similar to the one that brought Doncic to Los Angeles comes their way). 

A sweep can lead to this kind of retrospection and the need for tough decisions. But the Los Angeles Lakers always find a way to bounce back. This time, though, it may come with some difficult choices and tough goodbyes.