It was easy enough to just laugh off at first. Sure, it was noteworthy that LeBron James — who had long ago mastered the art of cashing in via free agency as many times as humanly possible — made the uncharacteristic decision to opt in to his $52.6 million player option with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2025-26. And it was definitely noteworthy that said decision came with a statement from his agent, Rich Paul, that sure seemed to include multiple thinly veiled barbs at L.A.'s team-building strategy.
"LeBron [James] wants to compete for a championship," Paul said, per ESPN's Shams Charania. "He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career."
You don't usually get the word "but" in a statement about a player choosing to stay with his current team. But hey: No one can accuse LeBron of not knowing how to keep his name in the news. This is just what he does during the offseason, dangling himself out there to make sure he gets the contract and the teammates he wants moving forward. There's no way he would actually consider leaving his home, and the chance to play with his son Bronny, in L.A. ... right?
James asking for a trade still might be far-fetched, but hell if the Lakers aren't trying their hardest to test it out. Gamesmanship or not, it's undoubtedly true that LeBron wants to maximize the little time he has left in his NBA career and give himself the best possible chance at a sixth title. And it's also true that Los Angeles has reoriented itself around the timeline of its new star, 26-year-old Luka Doncic. Which, naturally, has created some tension — tension that threatens to come to a head after the Lakers fell flat in the opening night of NBA free agency.
LeBron James could follow through on thinly veiled threat after Lakers' sluggish start to free agency
The start of free agency on Monday night did not go the way L.A. had planned, to put it kindly. First, the team not only lost valuable wing Dorian Finney-Smith — predictable enough, given the Lakers' financial constraints — but they lost him to the rival Houston Rockets, and for just about the midlevel exception no less. And lest you think Los Angeles would quickly pivot that money toward finding the rim-running center they've long sought, well, the team also whiffed on both Brook Lopez (who signed with the Los Angeles Clippers) and Clint Capela (who signed with Houston).
At this point, the center market is so barren that Lakers fans are praying their team can nab the recently bought-out DeAndre Ayton on the cheap — not exactly what you want if you're entering a season in which the expectation is championship or bust. Unless, of course, that's not the expectation: While James remains an excellent player, he's on a year-to-year basis at this point, while Doncic is still just entering the middle of his prime. It's clear which one of those things the Lakers would like to build around. What's not clear is whether James might actually decide that he's had enough.
What can Lakers do to salvage this offseason?
As things stand, the Lakers profile as a good team but one that remains a notch below the Oklahoma City Thunder and Rockets, and likely the Denver Nuggets as well after Denver reunited with Bruce Brown and swapped Michael Porter Jr. for a younger, cheaper version in Cam Johnson. It's not out of the realm of possibility for L.A. to make a Finals run next season, but it also doesn't feel particularly likely, either, considering the relative lack of athleticism and the gaping hole at the center spot.
And that's a tough spot to be if you're in your early 40s and unsure of how many years of pro basketball your body has left. LeBron might just be bluffing about a willingness to leave the Lakers, but if Los Angeles wants to be safe, they'd do well to pounce on someone like Ayton quickly; the other remaining centers in L.A.'s price range, like Al Horford or Moe Wagner, aren't the sort of player type this team needs. They could also use some more depth on the wing.
While there are options still available on the cheap, they don't figure to truly move the needle. If the Lakers really are intent on keeping their powder dry in order to put another max-level star next to Doncic in 2027, that's more than understandable. But that doesn't align with James' timeline, and things could get ugly if L.A. doesn't make some moves soon.