Jazz should be concerned by growing rift between LeBron James & Lakers

The one benefit to tanking like the Utah Jazz are is that there's no immediate pressure for the team to succeed. Not having a proven superstar (this could change in no time for Utah) allows the Jazz to ride the wave with little resistance. That's not the case with the Los Angeles Lakers, whose rumored falling out with LeBron James not only affects them but could also negatively affect 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 the outs, though didn't exactly specify if that meant he was leaving when this season is over.

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

So if he's gone, the Lakers have extra incentive to keep Austin Reaves, who will likely hit free agency as he's in for a major raise this offseason. LA already had the inside track on keeping Reaves past this season, but James' departure only makes that more glaringly apparent.

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

This is a rhetorical question because it's hard to see what Utah would do if they don't get Reaves. They could re-sign some of their free agents, like Jusuf Nurkic, who has been awesome, but that would feel anticlimactic. The team could also absorb a contract. This offseason, the Jazz will have use-it-or-lose-it cap space, as they also have to confront the Keyonte George extension elephant in the room ASAP.

Reaves is the most straightforward option because there would be no stings attached, but Utah knows it has to do something this offseason. So even if he goes back to the Lakers, they must look into any option they can, whether it's via the trade market or free agency market.

It's not like it's the end of the world if Utah misses out on the Lakers' breakout star, but this is a rare opportunity to get better. The Jazz have a better foundation and will likely add to it from the lottery this summer. To add more star power outright when they won't get the chance to do it again next summer hurts, but who's to say 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...