At this time, it doesn’t seem like a guarantee just yet that star forward LeBron James will still be a member of the Los Angeles Lakers come the 2025-26 season.
Although he wasn’t necessarily talking about a divorce this offseason specifically, Brian Windhorst of ESPN went on record earlier in the month as saying that the NBA’s oldest player and the Lakers organization are “beginning to move apart” and that the 40-year-old’s time with the storied franchise is “beginning to come to an end.”
Lakers insider Jovan Buha has now added another layer to the situation by reporting that James’ relationship with the organization isn’t in the “best place right now.”
“I mean, I want to be careful with what I say about Bron’s relationship with the front office or the organization, but I don’t think it’s in the best place right now, to be completely honest,” Buha said.
Rumors have painted a murky picture about James’ future in Los Angeles, but the team did go out and sign an effective big man in free agency, something that may increase James’ level of confidence in the roster moving forward.
The Lakers added former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton to the fold on a two-year deal, and while there are question marks about his effort, his talent is undeniable. He has averaged a double-double of 16.4 points and 10.5 rebounds per game for his pro career.
Ayton is also a clear talent upgrade over center Jaxson Hayes, who started plenty of games for Los Angeles last season after the team moved on from star big man Anthony Davis. Hayes, for what it’s worth, is also back with the Lakers in a reserve role.
James returning to L.A. is probably the most likely outcome, but he may be sick of getting bounced early on in the playoffs with the Lakers. Over the last five seasons, his Lakers have made it out of the first round just once. That came when they made a surprise run to the Western Conference Finals in the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
If James’ Lakers tenure comes to an end soon, he’ll still have accomplished enough in a Lakers uniform to be considered a franchise great by many. As is arguably required to become a Lakers legend, James helped Los Angeles win a title during his stint with the team back in 2020.
He has also averaged 26.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game across 419 total regular-season contests with the team, and he became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in 2023.