LeBron James Lakers future Cavs return Warriors rumors
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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) reacts during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025 in Los Angeles, CA.
The Los Angeles Lakers have been thriving with LeBron James as the third option on offense behind Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, going 12-1 in their latest stretch and finally looking like the title contenders they expected to be when the season began.
But while things are going well for the Lakers right now, with James finally buying into his new role, it isn’t a fix-all for the team’s overarching concerns. Specifically, as it relates to the NBA’s all-time leading scorer‘s future with the team.
Even though James looks to be in much higher spirits amid Los Angeles’ surge up the Western Conference standings in his new role, he still might be poised to leave this summer in free agency, and questions remain on if that would be either a positive or negative for the Lakers.
Lakers Get New Update On LeBron James’ Future
LeBron James Lakers future free agency NBA history most games played
GettyHOUSTON, TEXAS – MARCH 18: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts to a basket against the Houston Rockets during the first half at Toyota Center on March 18, 2026 in Houston, Texas.
While James clapped back at the criticism that the team would be better without him, that doesn’t mean that he plans on resigning with the Lakers as a free agent this offseason.
Writing for The Athletic, Sam Amick, while detailing why Los Angeles has been thriving with James in his new role, reiterated that the overarching sentiment is that he will leave the team this summer.
Amick named the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors as the most likely destinations to land the 41-year-old free agent.
“As recently as late January, not long after an ESPN report detailed so much of the dysfunction in James’ relationship with the Lakers organization, the widely-held consensus around the league was that there’s no way he’d be back in a Lakers jersey,” he wrote.
NBA Base
LeBron James is reportedly “NOT” expected to return to the Lakers, with the Cavs and Warriors seen as his top landing spots, per @sam_amick
“As recently as late January, not long after an ESPN report detailed so much of the dysfunction in James’ relationship with the Lakers
“The Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors were, and are, often mentioned by league executives as his most likely destinations. But it was the lack of synergy and consistent success with James on the court, above all else, that drove this idea of an unavoidable exit.”
Rumors linking James to both a return to the Cavaliers and a new chapter teaming up with Stephen Curry and the Warriors have each emerged over the past few months.
James has shown no signs, or given a direct answer to the question of what he’ll do after this season, and amid the Lakers’ success with him in his new role, that could mean bad news if they are now interested in trying to resign him for next season in a prolonged stretch of his as the third option.
Despite how well the team has played, James both doesn’t like the criticism that the Lakers are better without him, but also apparently doesn’t seem interested in closing out his career playing behind two other stars, despite that likely being the case should he join Cleveland or Golden State.
LeBron James As The Third Option For The Lakers
LeBron James Lakers future
GettyLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 03: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers on court against the New Orleans Pelicans in the first half at Crypto.com Arena on March 03, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
In the same article in which Amick highlighted James’ still uncertain future with the Lakers, he detailed how the team has overall, been playing better with him in a smaller role, compared to the sample size of how they looked pre-JJ Redick’s comments.
“There was a mountain of evidence that James didn’t fit in with Dončić and Reaves early on,” he wrote. “Lineups that included Dončić, Reaves and James, through Feb. 27 (14 games; 8-6 record): minus-4.9 net rating (109.6 offensive rating, 114.5 defensive rating) in 238 combined minutes.”
ClutchPoints
This stat will only add more fuel to an already ongoing conversation.
When Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves play without LeBron James, the Lakers are 9–2 this season.
And the lineup data points in a similar direction.
Among all the combinations involving Luka, LeBron and Reaves,
“As if it wasn’t problematic enough that James ($52.6 million this season) was struggling on his own, the prospect of him hindering the team’s new dynamic duo was the kind of thing that would surely lead to his Laker Land end. When James references all that chatter about how the “team is better off without him,” as he put it, this is what he’s referring to.”
However, despite what the numbers show, James has changed the narrative about his role on the Lakers, and how the team plays, and subsequently wins, with him on the court.
This season, he’s averaging 21.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 6.8 assists on 51.4% shooting in 50 games, all of which have decreased over the past month.
It’s becoming clear that James buying into his new role is good for the Lakers right now, despite whatever he thinks about now playing third fiddle on offense.
But as to what it means for his future with the team, it only appears that James being told to take a backseat by Redick makes his chances of leaving this summer more likely.
Regardless, the looming question of where James will play next won’t be answered for a few months.