The Los Angeles Lakers are in the midst of a disappointing offseason. After flaming out early in the playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves, fans in Los Angeles were hoping for a big offseason that would help them get back to championship contender status. Instead, the Lakers lost key veteran Dorian Finney-Smith and only added Jake LaRavia and Deandre Ayton so far. This will almost certainly not be enough to change the fate of the franchise in the 2025-26 season.
To make matters worse, the Lakers are now dealing with serious LeBron James drama. The latest report by Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst of ESPN paints a bleak picture of the relationship between the organization and James. In the story, two insiders suggest that the 40-year-old superstar is not particularly happy with the way the Lakers chose Luka Doncic over him in their future plans.
"James understood the Lakers taking advantage of an opportunity to pivot to the younger superstar. But from James' perspective, sources said, nuance was sometimes lost during the transition. Doncic had never asked to be a Laker. James, for his part, had chosen L.A..."Ramona Shelburne & Brian Windhorst, ESPN
This is in line with the developments of the offseason, as James opted in to his $52.6 million player option without further extending his contract. His agent Rich Paul didn't commit to the Lakers long-term in his statements after this decision. This prevents the Lakers from making significant additions to the roster for financial reasons while keeping James on the verge of departure from LA. James has shown his lack of commitment to the team by refusing to welcome Deandre Ayton to the team.
Reading between the lines here, it's not too difficult to deduce that James' time in Los Angeles may come to an end sooner than expected. There is certainly no team in the NBA that would trade LeBron without his consent, including the Lakers. However, if things get bad enough, it's possible to see James requesting a trade, either before the season or at the trade deadline.
Whether that comes to fruition remains to be seen, but LeBron's chances of playing the 2025-26 season in a Lakers uniform are certainly lower than they were when the season ended.