While the NBA world attempts to predict Los Angeles Lakers All-Star LeBron James' future beyond the 2025-26 season this summer, analyst Skip Bayless is questioning the future Hall of Fame forward's past, which has led to a critical offseason.
Bayless, ahead of the Lakers' offseason, is wondering why James didn't take a veteran minimum deal before the season, he said, per Gil's Arena.
“Why didn't he take it 8 years ago? Seriously, because I'm looking at the money he has made as a Laker, it's $347 million, and it just goes up,” Bayless said. “That's a lot of money, and he is the ultimate box office Hollywood as you can get. I gotcha. But he gave you an overall playoff record, if in fact it's over now, of 32-31 in his eight years.
“Since that Mickey Mouse championship that they won in the bubble, 16-26 is LeBron's playoff record since the bubble. 16-26 — that is the worst playoff winning percentage in all of basketball since the bubble, 2020.”
However, Bayless did give James credit for stepping up for the Lakers while All-Star Luka Doncic was nursing a hamstring injury throughout the playoffs.
“He shockingly, to me, did accept third-wheel role that became second-wheel, when Luka went down,” Bayless added. “And I liked the way he played down the stretch, and I liked the way he played against Houston, albeit without Kevin Durant, who didn't even play when he played. In the one game that he did play, he didn't even play in the second half. It was like, here, you can have this one.”
"Why didn't he take it 8 years ago?… He gave you an overall playoff record of 32-31 in his 8 years. Since that Mickey Mouse championship that they won… 16-26 since the bubble."
Skip Bayless blasts LeBron James for passing on a veteran minimum deal 👀pic.twitter.com/MoclaaCdEf
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 13, 2026
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Either way. Bayless doesn't consider James, at this stage of his career, worth the Lakers giving him a raise before his 42nd birthday.
Should the Lakers offer LeBron James the veteran minimum?
Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the first half in game four of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Before LeBron James and the Lakers decide their future, Skip Bayless hopes LeBron would consider signing for the veteran's minimum.
“Would you want him back in that role if he would take the veteran minimum? Yeah, I would,” Bayless said. “And I do believe they do have him by the eyeballs right now because he's born to play in LA. His whole second career is going to be in Hollywood. The golf bug bit him bad, and he wants to be in tropical Hollywood 365. He doesn't want to have to play a winter in Cleveland, New York, or wherever it's going to be. They know that, and he knows that.”
It'll be interesting to see how things play out between James and the Lakers this summer.
While the NBA world attempts to predict Los Angeles Lakers All-Star LeBron James' future beyond the 2025-26 season this summer, analyst Skip Bayless is questioning the future Hall of Fame forward's past, which has led to a critical offseason. Bayless, ahead of the Lakers' offseason, is wondering why James didn't take a veteran minimum deal before the season, he said, per Gil's Arena.