LeBron James put up a valiant effort in the series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough as he and the Los Angeles Lakers were vanquished in five games.
James turned back the clock and played as inspired basketball as he has all season on both ends of the floor, but the Timberwolves flat out outplayed the Lakers in every facet of the game. Now, James heads into an uncertain offseason as he remains noncommittal about his playing career, though the early expectation is he’ll return for the 2025-26 season.
While James hasn’t officially confirmed he’ll be back for next season, president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka sounded like he and the front office are operating under the assumption that he’ll return. Pelinka made it obvious at the Lakers’ recent press conference when he said he and the Lakers would do everything they can to retool the roster to meet James’ lofty expectations.
“LeBron is a GOAT, one of the GOATS of the game. He’s a completely selfless leader and I think we saw that in this playoff series, moving to playing more off the ball and committing to the defensive end,” Pelinka said. “I think it’s just a testament to his championship DNA and character. I think LeBron is gonna have high expectations for the roster and we’re gonna do everything we can to meet those. But I also know that whatever it is, he’s gonna still give his 100% every night, whether that’s scoring, assisting, defending, rebounding, leading. We know that’s gonna always be 100% and never waver.”
James has not been shy about his desire to add more talent to the team and the clock is ticking on Pelinka and company as it feels like his career is quickly winding down. The 2025-26 season could be James’ final year in the league and that puts a lot of pressure on the organization to be aggressive in free agency and the trade market.
LeBron’s current contract situation makes it hard for the Lakers to sign anyone outright in free agency, so trades will be the most likely route to improve the team. With multiple expiring contracts and limited draft capital, Pelinka should have the ammunition necessary to pull off at least one impact deal.
LeBron James not expected to consider taking a major pay cut
Last offseason, LeBron James was reportedly willing to take less money on his deal to help the Lakers sign players in free agency. This summer, though, James isn’t expected to extend the same courtesy.
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