LeBron James ended Year 22 of his NBA career with serious disappointment, with the Lakers crashing out in the first round of the playoffs. The Minnesota Timberwolves beat them in just five games, too, rubbing salt into the wound.

From the moment the trade happened, most could see Los Angeles shifted its timeline by swapping Anthony Davis for Luka Dončić. Dončić is six years younger than Davis, and more importantly, AD's departure exacerbated one of the team's biggest issues. L.A.'s lack of interior protection was exposed again and again by Minnesota.

The Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated in the first round of the NBA postseason. But what exactly does that mean for the 40-year-old LeBron James?