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LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers
Something a league executive said this week in regards to the future of LeBron James of the Lakers really stood out. The idea that the Lakers are ready to turn their backs and walk away on James is something that has certainly made the rounds, but now there has been some push-back on that–maybe, the thinking goes, the Lakers can still use their summer cap space to keep James on board.
Or, if James is ready to play another season–rather than retire, as has been speculated–maybe the Lakers could persuade him to take a minimum deal and still allow them to sign other players in the offseason. If James would take a minimum in Cleveland, why not in L.A.?
Another possibility yet: Maybe the Lakers could try to bring in the likes of Walker Kessler from Utah or Peyton Watson from Denver, both of whom are restricted free agents, and if that does not work out, move instead to bring James back.
But it’s important to recognize, as one NBA executive said, that’s not how this is going to work.
LeBron James, Lakers Not Resigned to Giving Up on Relationship
To be clear, James has not given up on staying with the Lakers, and the Lakers have not given up on bringing James back. It’s a less fun storyline than a big return and a documentary in Cleveland, but the ho-hum notion of James back with the Lakers can’t be ruled out.
Much of how things play out will depend on the Lakers’ approach to free agency, whether they prioritize recruiting James to stay or looking for younger players who fit the Luka Doncic timeline in a neater fashion. As one NBA source said, James would probably most like to retire with the Lakers, but he is not going to be the third or fourth choice in free agency.
Lakers Can’t Count on LeBron James Return
If the Lakers are determined to get another player, they can’t count on James being in the background, willing to go back to L.A. on the Lakers’ terms. He will be looking for his own gig.
“It’s not like if they get turned down by Peyton Watson in free agency, they can fall back on LeBron,” the source said. “He’ll already be gone. It is going to be a difficult needle for them to thread, and maybe too difficult.”
The Lakers do stand to have the most cap space of any team in the NBA this offseason, more than $45 million, which gives them a number of advantages. But how they handle that cap space is still a question mark. The order of operations is important, and if James is not convinced the Lakers are committed to him, he won’t have much incentive to stick around.
Peyton Watson
GettyPeyton Watson during a game against the Houston Rockets in November 2025
Timing Might Be Everything This Summer
The priority is expected to be to find another star to bring in, or to land one by trade and absorb his salary. That is the scenario in which a player like Kessler or, in a true blockbuster, Giannis Antetokounmpo, winds up with the Lakers. Whatever the move is, the Lakers need to make it first, because they can only re-sign their own players using cap space once they’ve gone over the cap themselves.
When they get over the cap, then the Lakers can make an offer to Austin Reaves, and possibly to James. Reaves is likely to wait out the process, if he is sure he will get the deal he wants from the Lakers. But James is not necessarily likely to wait–he might well force the issue by finding his own deal elsewhere.