Lakers send another signal they're planning for life after LeBron James

The Los Angeles Lakers are stuck in neutral right now. Dorian Finney-Smith left at the onset of free agency, replaced shortly thereafter by Jake LaRavia. But otherwise, it has been crickets — except for LeBron James' decision to opt in to the final year of his contract, worth $52.6 million. That decision carries significant weight.

James has never entered a Lakers season in the final year of his contract. He has been signing one-plus-one deals for ages now, always giving himself a player option and the ability to renegotiate in the summer. Right now, James has the power to simply walk away come the 2026 offseason, whether that means retiring or going to a new team.

Heck, there's a real chance — however slim — that we don't even get to next season before LeBron is on the move. We always get reports of LeBron "monitoring" the Lakers' moves, but that noise is louder than ever. It's clear L.A. is reorienting its timeline around Luka Dončić, which means preserving cap space for 2027 and avoiding the sort of all-in mentality an aging star like James would prefer.

That is an egregious strategy for a team with Luka and LeBron, two top-10 players with incredible postseason track records, but it's what the Lakers are doing. And now, their latest free agent rumor can be read as another signal to LeBron that he is no longer essential.

Lakers take interest in Damian Lillard as questions swirl around LeBron James' future

The Lakers are among the teams who would like to sign Damian Lillard "sooner rather than later," per Sam Amick, Eric Nehm and Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Lillard, 34, is expected to spend most (if not all) of next season rehabbing from a torn Achilles. The Milwaukee Bucks waived and stretched the remaining $113 million on his contract in a shocking twist, which allows Lillard to effectively sign anywhere for a small dollar amount, as he's receiving $22.5 million annually from Milwaukee for the next five years.

In terms of pure value, this is a no-brainer for the Lakers. But it does raise questions about LeBron's future. On one hand, it's a free gamble on a star and perhaps a signal to James that L.A. does plan on gunning for a title as soon as possible. But Lillard is also another ball-handler, which puts the Lakers' offense in a better position should James end up on the chopping block. And he won't be back until next season, so it's not exactly an immediate solution.

In reality, Los Angeles' thinking probably boils down to 'Damian Lillard is available for a minimum contract and we're the Lakers, so why not?' But if Lillard does decide to take his talents to Hollywood — and that's not my first choice if I'm him — there would be clear parallels to the Luka Dončić-Kyrie Irving backcourt Dallas once perfected. If Lillard can return anywhere close to full strength in 2026-27, that gives Los Angeles the offensive firepower to start life without LeBron.

Which teams are the Lakers' biggest competition for Damian Lillard?

The Athletic's report also mentions Boston and Golden State as teams that would like to sign Lillard sooner than later. Both feel like strong fits — especially Boston — but very little is guaranteed at this stage. Lillard will rehab in Portland, around his family, and there's a chance he opts to wait until next summer to sign a new contract, when he can reassess the landscape.

Those are not the only teams in the mix, however, as ESPN's Marc J. Spears reports that Lillard has received phone calls numbering in the double digits. In short, any team with a reasonable path to contention would love to add a nine-time All-Star and seven-time All-NBA point guard for what could conceivably be the veteran minimum.

Whether it's to pair Lillard, LeBron and Luka, or to blaze a new trail in a post-LeBron world, the Lakers won't just stumble into Lillard without a compelling sales pitch.