May 11, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the second half in game four of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
May 11, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the second half in game four of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
LeBron James changed the entire NBA basketball world when he announced his decision to join the 76ers this summer. In one fell swoop, he simultaneously made the 76ers favorites in the East while ending a historic era in Los Angeles. So far, the King has yet to show signs of regret, but recent events in Los Angeles may have changed his view on the Lakers.
With Mark Walter out and new co-owners poised to take control, the Lakers have switched hands once again, and this new regime is even more loaded than the last. What that means for the future isn’t entirely clear, but the timing is unfortunate given how it might have impacted LeBron’s free agency. According to what one source told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, James might have made a different decision this summer had the sale happened earlier.
“ESPN asked a source close to James if the sale had gone through sooner, whether it could have had any influence on James wanting to stay in L.A. ‘Maybe,’ the source said. ‘But that’s tough to answer. Communication could have been better [with Iger and Kushner, compared to with Walter]. Just a different relationship. But the basketball piece was the most important, so maybe not from that standpoint.”
LeBron’s free agency was the biggest story of the summer, and it was not a secret that he wanted to compete for a championship. Initially, the Lakers hoped that he would re-sign to run it back with Luka Doncic, but he had already become disillusioned with the franchise, citing a difference in strategy. That’s why, before free agency officially began, he told the Lakers he would not return, effectively ruling them out without a second thought.
Just a few weeks later, Walter would be forced to sell the Lakers in order to keep up with an active fraud investigation. The sale is still in the early stages, but the new owners have already set a strong precedent with how they have communicated with players and fans. Plus, in the wake of the biggest sale in NBA history, there is no doubt that Bob Iger and Josh Kushner have enough resources to support the team and invest in upgrading its infrastructure and support staff.
With them in charge, LeBron might have felt more confident about sticking around and finishing his career in Los Angeles. At the very least, they could have sold him on the idea of a fresh start and a clean slate, with a more open line of communication.
Unfortunately, we’ll never know for sure how it would have panned out, but LeBron can’t afford to think about that now. After signing a two-year deal with Philly, he’s officially on the clock to help deliver a title, and he’ll have plenty of help to get there in the form of Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe, and Joel Embiid.
But after all that’s happened in Los Angeles, it’s hard not to wonder if LeBron made a mistake. Had he waited just a little bit longer, he would have had more information to make his decision, and he might still be a Laker today. In this timeline, however, he’ll have to watch from the outside as the Lakers adjust to their enthusiastic new owners.