LeBron James’ tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers could very well be coming to an end in the near future as he picked up his player option for the 2025-26 season without an extension on hand.
James has historically opted out and renegotiated a new deal, but this time around he and the Lakers appear to quietly be preparing for their partnership to end. Los Angeles acquired Luka Doncic at last year’s trade deadline, giving the storied franchise its newest face to lead them once James either retires or leaves.
While LeBron has not outright requested a trade, there seems to be an understanding on both sides that he isn’t meant to suit up for the purple and gold much longer. Because James opted in, the belief amongst insiders and around the league is that the upcoming 2025-26 season could very well be his last with the Lakers.
The writing appears to be on the wall as James is reportedly being left out of the loop for important changes. For example, he was apparently not aware that Jeanie and the Buss family were planning on selling a majority stake to Mark Walter, via Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst of ESPN:
When the Buss family agreed to sell a majority stake in the franchise to Mark Walter on June 18, Doncic was given a heads-up and notably posted a congratulations on social media afterward. James was not given the same notice and did not post any public acknowledgement afterward.
It seems like an obvious sign that the Lakers are no longer considering James when making decisions concerning the franchise, and that they fully intend to build with Doncic in mind. James is smart enough to understand that this is how things go, but it’s still jarring to see a team like L.A. openly leave its superstar in the dark.
There have been no rumblings that James plans to exit any time soon, though things can change quickly in the NBA. The front office hasn’t done nearly enough to get the Lakers in position to compete for a title, so LeBron is likely monitoring the situation to see if his best chance to win one more championship lies in Los Angeles.
LeBron James downplays significance of working out at Cavaliers facility
LeBron James caused a stir earlier in the offseason when he was seen working out at the Cleveland Cavaliers practice facility. However, James downplayed the significance of it, saying he returns home to Ohio to train every summer.
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