Throughout the course of the NBA offseason thus far, the future of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has become very cloudy.
While he decided to pick up his $52.6 million player option to remain with the team, a lot of trade rumors have begun coming out. It's clear that Rob Pelinka and the Lakers are building around Luka Doncic and the future.
James is still playing at a high level. However, there is a very good chance that he will retire within the next year or two. Will he end up finishing his career with Los Angeles?
That has become one of the burning questions within NBA circles. Unfortunately, the reality of the situation is that the Lakers are already in the "moving on stage" when it comes to James.
Even if he plays out the 2025-26 season with Los Angeles, the team is no longer catering to him. Doncic is the face of the franchise and James is simply existing with the Lakers.
Keeping that in mind, ESPN senior writer Tim Bontemps has sent out a brutal reality check about James.
"The moment the Lakers made that trade, the LeBron James era in Los Angeles ended," Bontemps said about the team acquiring Doncic.
Bontemps was not the only NBA insider to share the reality of James' situation. ESPN's Brian Windhorst also offered a harsh take on the situation.
Windhorst stated that the Lakers are currently viewing James as an "expiring contract."
During the 2024-25 NBA season, James put up good production for Los Angeles. He played in 70 games, averaging 24.4 points per game to go along with 8.2 assists, 7.8 rebounds, and a steal. In addition, he shot 51.3 percent from the floor and 37.6 percent from the three-point line.
At 40 years old, James is still putting up numbers that most players can only dream of producing.
There is no clear picture of the future for James and the Lakers. It's still possible that a trade could be on the horizon. He might even play the 2025-26 season elsewhere.
Expect to continue hearing a lot of rumors, speculation, and reports coming out about the future regarding James. Pelinka and Los Angeles have some key decisions to make. Fans can only wait patiently to find out what the Lakers have in mind.
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