Will LeBron James remain with the Los Angeles Lakers for an eighth season, or will the star forward take his talents elsewhere? James picked up his $52.6 player option for the 2025-26 NBA season this week, but did so in rather ominous fashion. Through his longtime agent Rich Paul, James indicated he's going to keep an eye on how the Lakers operate this offseason as they aim to build a team around him and Luka Doncic, who they acquired in a shocking blockbuster trade earlier this year.
"LeBron wants to compete for a championship," Paul told ESPN. "He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all."
LeBron James next team odds via DraftKingsThe Lakers were quiet out of the gate in free agency as top centers signed elsewhere. Additionally, the team missed out on Dorian Finney-Smith, who was a former teammate of Doncic's in Dallas who had great chemistry with the star guard, as he signed with Houston. The Lakers did sign Jake LaRavia to a two-year, $12 million deal, but that's likely not a move that moves the needle in terms of keeping James in Los Angeles.
The Lakers did make a notable splash on Wednesday with the signing of 2018 No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton to a two-year deal. The veteran big man was a key part of a Suns team that went to the NBA Finals in 2021, but there have been reports of conflict between himself and his former team, such as missing team events, being late to flights and throwing locker room tantrums. He had a very messy exit from the Suns and the Trail Blazers eventually bought out the rest of his contract and let him hit the market partially because they were tired of dealing with his antics. Ayton is extremely talented, but the Lakers will certainly need to figure out how to make the best of the new partnership moving forward.
Oddsmakers still expect James to remain with the Lakers, who are -800 to be the team he is with come the 2025-26 season opener. Trading a $52.6 million contract can be tough, especially as other contenders are dealing with cap and apron restraints of their own. James also has a full no-trade clause, which means if he does force his way out via trade, he can handpick his destination, though the financial numbers as well as the return for Los Angeles have to work out, too. Plus, finding a better fit could be tough given the Lakers are a perennial contender and now will have Doncic for a full offseason and regular season.
Los Angeles went 19-13 after acquiring Doncic, but it's also worth noting James missed eight games during that stretch due to a groin injury. The Lakers went 7-5 to close out the regular season upon his return to the lineup, and in a deep and tight Western Conference, they went 50-32 and earned the No. 3 seed before losing in the first round to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who made it to the Western Conference Finals.
Doncic, James and Austin Reaves now have a full offseason to gel, but the best way to complement the team's two top stars is to add shooters and more athleticism to the lineup, which they've done thus far. LaRavia shot 42.3% from 3-point range and Rui Hachimura shot 41+% from 3-point range in each of his last two seasons and he shot just under 50% from 3 in the playoffs. Eric Dixon, a forward the Lakers added on a two-way deal, made 40.7% of his 3-pointers on 7.2 tries per game last season at Villanova. Jarred Vanderbilt isn't much of an offensive force, but he's one of the Lakers' better defenders. The Lakers won't be a top defensive team with their current lineup, but it was compe tent on that end of the court late last year, and Ayton should help them in that regard even if he is inconsistent. The team certainly will have learned a lot after its early playoff exit, starting with first-year head coach JJ Redick's lineup management. James should be willing to give this team a shot.
The Lakers could still make moves in the offseason and have some expiring contracts they can move along with future picks and swaps. They're unlikely to do that unless a truly exceptional trade materializes, similar to how they got Doncic a year ago. But if James forces a move before the season, what's the most likely destination?
The Mavericks stand out, which would be interesting giving these two teams matched up in the shocking trade for Doncic. The Mavs have two former James teammates in Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, and he'd likely be a fan of teaming up with that duo. Irving is rehabbing from an ACL injury, though, which makes this tricky.
James' first team, the Cavaliers, are also a rumored destination for James for obvious reasons as he's from the Cleveland area and played for them twice, but they are up against the second apron and will need to involve other teams to make a deal happen.
The Warriors, Suns and Bucks round out the top five contenders after L.A. to land James. The Bucks are unlikely to gut their roster to do so, especially after they recently pulled off a surprising move by releasing Damian Lillard and signed Myles Turner. Golden State reportedly made a play to pair James with Stephen Curry a few years ago but the Lakers turned them down.
Legacy will also play a factor for James. Even if he wants to compete for a championship, is he really going to play for the Oklahoma City Thunder (+15000) or Indiana Pacers (+12000)? The Knicks (+2500) are a sneaky fit for James and there has been buzz about him wanting to play in New York before, but the Knicks reportedly denied interest. They play in a weaker Eastern Conference and are closing in on hiring Mike Brown as the head coach. That's important to note as Brown was James' head coach early in his career in Clevelan d and the two have a close pre-existing relationship. New York has the contracts to match James' salary and might want to avoid massive long-term extensions on Mikal Bridges and Mitchell Robinson.
A move before the 2025-26 season seems unlikely, but this is a situation worth monitoring until the trade deadline. It's probably a safe bet James starts the season with the Lakers, but whether he ends it with them is a different story.
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