LeBron James finally came to Luka Doncic realization the Lakers have known

As the Los Angeles Lakers figure out how best to move forward with a roster that now includes Luka Doncic, it's clear that there's some simmering tension between their new face of the franchise and their old one.

LeBron James opted into his $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season, according to a report from ESPN's Shams Charania on Sunday. But while LeBron elected not to pursue a new deal, with L.A. or elsewhere, the decision also came with what seemed like a thinly veiled warning from his agent Rich Paul.

The NBA's all-time leading scorer, who was previously overheard on instagram wanting to join the New York Knicks this offseason, is undoubtedly in the twilight of his career as heads into what will be his 23rd season in the league. A move to the Knicks would be extremely hard to pull off, New York would likely have to lose out on either Mikal Bridges or Karl-Anthony Towns to make the math work. But whether he's secretly angling for Madison Square Garden or not, what's clear is that James is for the first time understanding what it's like to not be the center of his team's attention.

That now has to be Doncic, considering that the Slovenian won't even turn 27 until next February. But while the Luka trade was undoubtedly a coup for the Lakers, it creates a bit of a short-term issue. Because what's good for Doncic might not necessarily be good for James, forcing him to make some tricky decisions about his finite NBA future.

While James isn't quite the MVP that he used to be, the star is still a top-15 player in the league, averaging 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game last season on 51% shooting from the floor. You can understand why he'd want to make sure that whichever team he played for was doing everything it could to give him a chance at a sixth ring. The Lakers, on the other hand, now have a very good reason not to sacrifice future flexibility for an all-in push. Which is why, whlie a trade might be hard, James' retirement tour may need to happen elsewhere.

The LeBron James retirement tour may happen somewhere other than the Lakers

James' age, injury concerns and $52.6 million salary make finding a trade partner difficult if not impossible, especially under the new CBA. But while James might not have a ton of destinations to go to, it's clear that the star will still have some type of trade market if he does request to be traded this offseason.

It's also likely that the trade package will not be extremely lucrative, as the oldest player in the league will probably go for a rising young veteran, a solid rotation player, one or two first-round picks and a collection of second draft picks. It easy to assume as much, given that Kevin Durant went for a similar trade package as he entered a contract year.

Whether a contender that can win a title this season chooses to swing a trade for James, or whether LeBron is even interested in playing elsewhere or just rattling some cages, it's clear that the rumor mill will be filled with mock James trades as the legend realizes that his franchise is building around a entirely different and much younger star.