Walton: Keeping LeBron fresh for long haul a top priority for Lakers

With LeBron James locked into a four-year contract, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton believes it's of the utmost importance to manage the 33-year-old's minutes not just this season, but for the duration of his deal.

"We want to make sure we're not only playing at our best come the end of the season but that he's fresh," Walton said of James on Wednesday, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "And that's a goal for us. And it's a goal that we're on a journey and it's not a one-year journey. We're continuing to try to and be our best season by season, but also as each one goes on.

"And obviously he gives us the best opportunity to be at our best."

James is coming off a 2017-18 campaign with the Cleveland Cavaliers where he led the league in minutes played on the first full 82-game slate of his career, ending with yet another Finals berth.

"That will probably change with how we're playing as a team, where we're at for the season. We'll try to keep him at a reasonable number," Walton explained.

Walton also isn't ruling out the possibility of the four-time Most Valuable Player suiting up for all 82 games for a second year in a row.

"Rest with me is always kind of, you've got to take it as it comes," he said. "See how the season's going, get to those tough stretches. Are there nagging injuries happening or not? And that's when you would do it. We're not going to just rest somebody just to rest them. Only if the body or mind needs it, in my opinion."

The Lakers open the 2018-19 campaign Thursday on the road against the Portland Trail Blazers.