If only LeBron James had included an opt-out in his contract with the Lakers.

Following the conclusion of another disastrous season in Los Angeles — resulting in James missing the playoffs for the first time in 14 years, Luke Walton being fired as coach and Magic Johnson stunningly stepping down as team president — the former flagship franchise of the NBA has only strengthened its reputation as the most dysfunctional team in the league.

Nearing a deal to bring in Tyronn Lue — who won an NBA title with James in Cleveland in 2016 — as their next coach, the Lakers watched their former guard take his name out of consideration due to reported micromanaging from the front office. In addition to Lue being offered a three-year deal — two years less than the standard pact — Lue was told to have Kurt Rambis on his staff as an assistant, according to Yahoo Sports.

Rambis was a longtime Lakers forward, and assistant coach with them from 1996-2009, and continues to serve as an adviser to the team, where his wife, Linda, has spent decades working for the team, and is best friends with Lakers owner Jeanie Buss.

Rambis is one of the sources of frustration at a Lakers protest outside the Staples Center on Friday.

ESPN reports that Lue was also encouraged to hire Jason Kidd as an assistant.

When the Lakers eventually find a new head coach, general manager Rob Pelinka will remain. And that is a problem, according to Richard Jefferson.

Jefferson, a friend of James and Lue, who was also the best man at Walton’s wedding, told ESPN that the presence of the agent turned executive will prevent the Lakers from returning to their former glory.

“It’s not that many things that need to be changed (with the Lakers), but there are some major things that need to be changed. One of them is that Rob Pelinka has gotta go. Gotta go,” Jefferson said. “If I am the owner — now listen, one thing that I’ve heard is that if you listen to the fans, you’ll be sitting with the fans. I’m not trying to say make everyone happy, but at some point in time Jeanie Buss has to take a step back and say, ‘Why is it everyone that knows anything about basketball, that’s not associated with the Lakers, thinks that we’re all a bunch of idiots?’

“I’m not here to say ‘Oh, Rob will never be good.’ But there’s just too many things as (an) outsider looking in and knowing a lot of the things that have gone on. The lies, the deceit, how Magic Johnson left. And I’ve said this multiple times, if you want to have any inside look into how the Lakers are being run from the inside, look at how Magic Johnson left.

“I don’t think Rob Pelinka is a bad dude. I think he’s a very good agent, I think he could be a very good executive but he needs more checks and balances around him.”