LeBron Back — Lakers Need Shooters for Luka

LeBron James is on the verge of returning — ESPN’s Shams Charania reports he "will be a full participant at Lakers practice on Monday" — and that arrival instantly upgrades Los Angeles’ ceiling. It matters because James joining Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves creates an elite core, but the roster still struggles with outside shooting (29th in made threes) and middling defense, so the team needs complementary shooters and stoppers to match that top-level play. Merlin sees the front office stirring its cauldron: L.A. has tradable picks, swaps and expirings to chase role players, and the club should be emboldened to trade if it truly believes "there's only one ball" can be shared effectively. LeBron helps, but he is not a miracle worker — the next moves will tell the tale.