LeBron James is either the best player in NBA history or the second-best behind Michael Jordan.
I can admit this with confidence.
I can also admit that, even at 41, James is an exceptional player in the NBA. While he can no longer consistently take over a game on both ends like he could a decade ago, he’s still an excellent player who will help your team win in the regular season and compete in the postseason.
But if the Los Angeles Lakers give James another $50 million contract or anything close to it for another year to run it back alongside Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, it would be a massive mistake.
After eight years, James has had a full legacy in Los Angeles. He’s, shockingly, been a Laker as long as Shaquille O’Neal and would surpass the big man if he plays with the Lakers again next campaign.
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Yet the days of blindly giving James the most money possible and then trying to build a team after giving him that contract are over. Regardless of whether the “King” is put off or disrespected by the Lakers not bending backward once again to give him everything he wants, L.A. needs to look toward the future if it has any chance of winning a title with Doncic.
If James wants to return for $25 million or even less, then sure, bring him back for one more season and see if he can continue beating up Father Time. But to bring him back to what he was making last year, when the truth is he is only going to get worse as the weeks go on, would just be procrastinating on what the Lakers need to do to actually compete with the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.
The Lakers need to get younger, more athletic, and defensive-minded to have any shot at taking down those two surging franchises, even with the league’s best scorer.
James can be a part of that Lakers squad in 2026 and into 2027.
He can’t be taking up $40-plus million of the cap, though, if they’re serious about contending.
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