But … you promised!

Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, talking to The Athletic in August, assured fans that she’d stop off for real reinforcements after last season ended before the playoffs. Because she was craving success as much as anyone – including LeBron James.

Or so she said: “LeBron is a very passionate person, and he wants to be put in a position where he can succeed. And it’s up to people like me and Rob (Pelinka) and our front office to put him in those kinds of positions … I couldn’t be more happy that he sees that we want to win just as much as he does.”

Then in front of the world at preseason media day, Pelinka, the Lakers’ vice president of basketball operations and general manager, puffed out his chest and assured everyone gathered ’round that the team would make sure James got the on-court support necessary to make his final few seasons fruitful.

After perhaps the greatest basketball player in the history of the world agreed to a two-year, $97.1 million contract extension with his organization, that seemed reasonable.

“Let me be abundantly clear,” Pelinka said. “(LeBron) committed to our organization, we’re going to commit to him – including those picks – to see him to the finish line.”

That sounded swell. Maybe too swell to be true.

A third of the way into the season, the Lakers are 11-16. They could be better; they should be.

Their stars have been scratching, clawing, shining. James and Anthony Davis have spent all season so far proving what they shouldn’t have to: They give the Lakers a shot.

A shot at a shot to win another title.

Or they would, if they were actually in a position to succeed.

The 29-year-old Davis is playing as well as anyone in the NBA, averaging 28.1 points and 12.4 rebounds per game. And, yes, he’s been consistently available too, playing in 24 of 27 games – including a season-high 46 minutes on Tuesday night against the Boston Celtics.

And James – who, you might have heard, is playing his 20th NBA season and is almost 38 years old – is averaging a team-high 36.3 minutes per game and giving the Lakers 26.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game. He logged 43 minutes against Boston.

Despite all the heavy lifting from their heavy hitters, the Lakers are sliding backward.

They’ve been pummeled lately by particularly painful losses, including instances against the Philadelphia 76ers and Celtics when it looked as if they’d grabbed victory from the jaws of defeat only to get swallowed up in overtime, their top two contributors exhausted after fighting back from 18- and 20-point deficits against quality opponents.

Consider those games a preview of what would happen to the Lakers, as currently constructed, if James and Davis are able to drag them into the playoffs.

Those guys would be fried, sapped of their super powers. Liable to go settling for ill-advised jumpers, susceptible to mental lapses and struggling to knock down pressure free throws.

There won’t be even a puncher’s chance if the fighters are beat up before they even enter the ring.

But that changes if the Lakers’ brass honors their commitments. If they add some length to a roster that now features five rotation players shorter than 6-foot-5? You know, if they maybe consider making life harder on other teams’ stars for a change.

The outlook changes too if they make a deal for a “laser” like LeBron mentioned early this season, when it was already apparent the Lakers were short on those mythical NBA players who can be counted on to accurately line up long-range shots?

Why not call a plumber like 6-7 Detroit forward Bojan Bogdanovic to unclog the lane and body up bigger dudes?

Because someone like Bogdanovic – who is enjoying a career year, putting up 21 points per game while shooting 50.8% from the field and 43.7% from 3-point range – won’t come cheap.

The Lakers reportedly are among about a dozen teams that are interested in acquiring the 33-year-old Croatian, including playoff-caliber suitors such as the Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks.

The Pistons aren’t going to settle for Patrick Beverley and Kendrick Nunn, the Lakers’ pair of struggling undersized guards, in exchange. No, Detroit will want to get its mitts on the Lakers’ 2027 and 2029 selections, the only trade-eligible first-round draft picks they have.

Whoever the Lakers target in a trade, the price is likely going to include one or both of those picks.

Including, say, the Atlanta Hawks’ John Collins, the Phoenix Suns’ disgruntled Jae Crowder or the New York Knicks’ Cam Reddish or Evan Fournier.

The Indiana Pacers apparently wanted those picks too if they were going to consider sending Buddy Hield and Myles Turner.

Hope you weren’t holding your breath waiting for that deal to get done this past summer, because the Lakers haven’t budged.

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Even as that arbitrary first-20-game deadline came and went, even as they’ve drawn closer to Thursday, the day nearly 90% of the NBA’s players become trade-eligible – nothing.

Whatever they’ve been waiting for, they’ve only lost leverage. By stalling to avoid overpaying, they’ve set themselves up to pay more because the rest of the NBA is delighting in their desperation.

If the Lakers think they’re being responsible by guarding their scant future assets, they’re wrong.

They’re being irresponsible, spoiling James’ final few laps as that “finish line” approaches.

They’re doing wrong by him, by their fans and by basketball.

And ball don’t lie.

Sometimes you’ve just gotta put it on the credit card and deal with paying off the interest later. A shot at a shot is worth it.