With Luka Doncic officially signed to a three-year contract extension, the Los Angeles Lakers have made it clear that he's their exclusive franchise player. LeBron James remains one of the best players in the NBA, but the direction of the organization is clear: Build around Doncic—and only Doncic.
It may prove to cause friction at times, but the Lakers now need James to thrive as the No. 2 star on the roster as Doncic takes clear hold of the No. 1 role.
It's a unique dynamic considering James has either been a clear-cut No. 1 or a true co-star in each of his 22 seasons. A strong argument can be made that the only time he even broached the latter role was in 2024-25, when Anthony Davis was declared the new hub of the offense.
Even still, James earned All-NBA Second Team honors and finished sixth in MVP voting after helping to lead Los Angeles to 50 wins.
The dynamic has changed with Doncic's arrival and extension, however, as the Lakers now have a clear-cut No. 1. That isn't to say that James won't be valued or valuable, as his scoring, situational defense, and playmaking will continue to be a driving force behind Los Angeles' success.
The moment Doncic signed his extension, however, marked a true change of the guard—and a clear declaration of who the new franchise player is.
Lakers are building around Luka Doncic—not Luka and LeBron James
While Doncic has signed an extension that will keep him in Los Angeles through at least 2028, James will be an unrestricted free agent in 2026. He somewhat quietly accepted his player option for the 2025-26 season, with a report emerging that his camp was unhappy with how the renewal process was handled.
Questions have inevitably circulated in regard to how much longer James will be playing for the Lakers—including a growing suspicion that he could be traded in 2025-26.
Doncic, meanwhile, successfully lobbied for the Lakers to sign Marcus Smart. He's also received rave reviews for his body transformation, with improved fitness and conditioning already on display during his time with the Slovenian National Team.
The plan now appears to be to build the offense and defense around Doncic's strengths and weaknesses, with James ideally complementing him in both respects.
Drastic changes could be on the way if the current roster in place proves inadequate from that perspective. Each of the Lakers' other four projected starters—Deandre Ayton, Rui Hachimura, James, and Austin Reaves—will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2026.
Perhaps they'll prove too valuable for the Lakers to let them walk, but it's worth noting that Hachimura, James, and Reaves were all acquired before Doncic was on the roster.
Regardless of what the future holds, what's become crystal clear is that supporting Doncic is the top priority. The hierarchy has been clearly established and the Lakers' priorities are clear to everyone involved in the situation.
James is still a superstar and Reaves is producing at a borderline All-Star level, but the Lakers plan to build around Doncic—no matter what that means for other incumbents.