NBA trolls are convinced LeBron just shut the Lakers championship window

While having LeBron James on your team is never a bad thing, in the modern NBA it's very tough to build a title contender around just one or two players. Even the Lakers must add the right role players around James and Luka Doncic, which will not come easy given the exorbitant price tag ownership is paying both players. The Lakers are a draw wherever they go, so there's little debating that him remaining in LA offers plenty of financial incentive for the new Lakers ownership and NBA, but is it best for the team?

James option is set to cost the Lakers $52.6 million in 2025. While there is some flexibility for Los Angeles GM Rob Pelinka to add some mid-level talent around James, Doncic and Austin Reeves, it will be much tougher at that price tag. Unlike last season, James didn't do the Lakers any favors, and took the most money available to him. The Lakers finished third in the Western Conference last season and are entering their first full season with James and Doncic leading the way. JJ Redick is a solid head coach, and even LeBron knows the organization is retooling on the fly, as Rich Paul noted.

"We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what's best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career," Paul said in a statement, per Shams Charania.

LeBron James age could play a factor in the Lakers title chances

James, who has seemingly had an unstoppable motor since entering the NBA, is starting to show some signs of slowing down in terms of the number of games he is available. Redick and the Lakers coaching staff will manage his minutes closely next season in hopes of making a postseason run. However, without the right players around James and Doncic, their ceiling is rather limited. LA lost to the upstart Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round last season, running into a wall in the process.

"I just want LeBron to move on from the Lakers. He holding up progress lol," another Lakers fan wrote on X.

Could the Lakers trade LeBron James this season?

One obvious alternative for the Lakers this season, especially if things start to go south around the NBA trade deadline, would be to deal James back where it all began or to a contender with a real chance at deliver on that championship promise.

James retiring as a Laker brings obvious perks as well in the long run. However, both he and the Lakers have come to the understanding that the team's best path forward is to build around Doncic, who will lead the next generation of LA stars.

LeBron will get his money as he prioritizes his post-playing career, while the Lakers get another season with James and Doncic leading the way. It's a win-win in that sense, but doesn't offer much of a long-term outlook.

However, what the Lakers gain in 2026 competence, they lose in short-term flexibility.