LeBron James told the Los Angeles Lakers that he wasn’t interested in returning for another season last Tuesday. While that’s when the news broke, Rich Paul told ESPN that James had made up his mind a week before, confirming that he wanted to leave. The four-time MVP reportedly didn’t even make himself available for a video conference with the Lakers brass when teams were allowed to discuss deals with their respective free agents.
On Monday, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported insights into the breakup, suggesting that James understood he wasn’t a priority, which made it easy for him to decide he no longer wanted to return. The Lakers could have still re-signed him, too.
However, it depended on one factor, which Los Angeles may have fumbled.
“After the season, sources close to James said the most important factor in him re-signing would be how the Lakers approached him,” Shelburne wrote. “He might have been willing to take a pay cut from the $52.6 million he’d made the season before, sources said, if the Lakers explained how they planned to reallocate the money. They never did, and James never made himself available to meet. He had been a priority enough times in his career to know when he wasn’t one.”
On one hand, the Lakers went all in on convincing Austin Reaves to accept a four-year, $185 million max extension, decorating a room with customized pillows and blankets, ordering in steak and playing his favorite country music. Los Angeles also spent four first-round picks (two swaps) and committed $130 million to Walker Kessler.
But with James, the Lakers didn’t apparently match such efforts. While, according to Shelburne, he didn’t want that, the Lakers didn’t seemingly bother explaining their plans either, which was a new experience for him during his eight-year tenure with the franchise. James was their franchise centerpiece until 2024, but that changed after Luka Doncic’s arrival in February 2025.
Still, LeBron James seemed pretty accommodating and reportedly did everything from his end to ensure a smoother transition. However, Ramone Shelburne’s report suggests the Lakers fell short on their end of the bargain by showing little effort to retain the 41-year-old.
The Lakers should have dealt with LeBron James’ situation better if a pay cut was on the table
The Los Angeles Lakers should have dealt with the LeBron James situation better if a pay cut was on the table. James showed he was willing to play a third-option role last season. He spent most of his time playing off the ball. When needed, he even donned the hat of a star player when either Luka Doncic or Austin Reaves missed time, or both were out.
James led them to a playoff series win against a youthful Houston Rockets team, while Doncic sat out all games and Reaves returned for two games. In the conference semis sweep loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, James’ production was higher than that of the reigning MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
If a pay cut were on the table, retaining James would have been the biggest win of Los Angeles’ offseason. The team would have made the Walker Kessler signing either way and potentially acquired Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton to solve its bench scoring woes.
There’s no doubt that having James over Sandro Mamukelashvili would’ve been the better option for Los Angeles, given that the 41-year-old was playing well enough to will the team to a playoff series win without its two best players. The addition of Kessler would have also helped James defensively.
All of a sudden, the Lakers seem short of talent, especially in the two forward positions. They let Rui Hachimura and Marcus Smart walk in free agency. With Hachimura, they lost a reliable shooter, and with Smart, they let a culture-setter and experienced veteran depart.
The Lakers will hope to acquire a high-upside player like Jonathan Kuminga to bolster their frontcourt depth. If they fail to deliver despite having the resources to improve the team without LeBron James, Rob Pelinka and his front office will endure significant criticism.
Read more:
- NBA Insider Mentions Intriguing Rui Hachimura Sign-And-Trade Idea For Lakers With Team That Has 20 Second-Round Picks
- LeBron James’ Former Teammate Reveals ‘Gut Feeling’ on Where He’ll Play Next Season
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