The Los Angeles Lakers might need to rethink their post-LeBron James plans.

Thing seemed relatively secure for the long haul once Anthony Davis inked an extension during the 2023 offseason tying him to the team through at least 2027 (player option for 2027-28).

Yet, it's possible his days wearing Purple and Gold don't last nearly that long.

As NBA insider Jovan Buha relayed during a recent live stream (near the 28-minute mark), it is not "inconceivable" that the 31-year-old might request a trade should James retire after this season.

"I wouldn't say it's inconceivable that he asked out, but I think he's been pretty happy in L.A. and I think he's aware of LeBron's plans," Buha said of Davis. "I also think if he wants out, I think the Lakers should just honor that because it's like at that point, if LeBron retires maybe it is best to rebuild and just keep your picks and then maybe at that point, they have kept their picks and just kind of punted on this season and next season. But I think if I had to lean one way, I'd probably lean toward AD staying, but I would not be surprised if he asked out."

Those can't be the most comforting words for the fanbase to hear, but their real impact could—and should—be felt by the front office.

There's a non-zero chance this is the Lakers' last stand with James and Davis. If the hope is to trade their way into a title team around the stars, it might be now or never.

Some might argue the uncertain futures of both stars should have L.A. more protective of its long-term assets (i.e., its two tradeable future first-round picks) than ever. Theoretically, that's an understandable take. Things could get ugly quickly with James and Davis plucked off of this roster, meaning the picks could wind up high on the draft board.

And yet, that maybe shouldn't matter to the Lakers. Not when they committed themselves to a championship-or-bust timeline the second this tandem was created, and not when it could be a while before one player of this ilk—let alone two—passes through this franchise.

James is a realistically acceptable answer in basketball's GOAT debate. Davis is a five-time All-NBA honoree who's off to an MVP-caliber start this season.

There's a reason analysis of this team over the past five seasons has always had to include some variation of it having at least a puncher's chance in any postseason series solely on the strength of having these two on the roster.

Even with James fast approaching his 40th birthday and Davis getting deeper into his 30s, this remains a twosome for the ages. The front office should treat the pairing as such and give it as much win-now support as possible.

That's not happening at the moment. There are flaws all across this roster, whether it's the many defensive sieves on the perimeter, the glaring void at center behind (or next to) Davis or the still-present (and still-restrictive) shooting shortage.

L.A. doesn't have enough assets to trade its way into a perfect roster, but it can do better than this. Those two future firsts would have immense value on the trade market, even if the Lakers put some level of protection on them. There are enough mid-sized salaries to make the math work on just about anything. If they felt the need to go third-star chasing, they could get just about anyone's attention by making Austin Reaves available.

The Lakers have options, in other words. What they may not have is time. They have to treat this like their final opportunity to follow James and Davis' lead to a title, because the future apparently isn't guaranteed for either.