Could LeBron James simply pack up his bags and leave the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason? It is certainly not out of the question according to one report.
Jovan Buha and Sam Amick of The Athletic teamed up to deliver a roundup on the Lakers after the disappointing series loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. In that report were many revealing notes about what the future could hold, including that of James' final years in the NBA.
The pair wrote, "So, might James think about finishing his career elsewhere in pursuit of a fifth ring? When posed that question, both league sources close to James and team sources would not rule that possibility out. And that was before the revealing elimination game."
The Lakers would certainly be left in an unenviable position if James decided to take his talents elsewhere. It would be one where it would take some time to recover from.
The LeBron James paradox
People like Paul Pierce would have you believe the Lakers need to move on from James in order to return to a championship contender. The question there is how? There is not immediate answer to the way in which the Lakers could maneuver to immediately bounce back from the departure.
Paul Pierce says it’s time for the Lakers to move on from the LeBron James era
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 1, 2025
“If the Lakers want to get back to being a championship contender, you have to get out of the constraints of the LeBron James era.”
(🎥 @SpeakOnFS1 )
pic.twitter.com/peciAodkGN
The good news for the Lakers is if James decided to leave and join another team, the type of contender that LeBron would be searching for almost certainly demands a sign-and-trade if the four-time champion were to receive a contract worthy of his stature.
The Brooklyn Nets are poised to be the biggest players in the upcoming free agency class and should be the only real team that can sign James outright. It is safe to predict that is not a destination on LeBron's mind.
The good news for James is that the free agency market does not have a lot of game-changing talents of his caliber. The trade market is likelier to provide teams with a needed championship boost. This gives LeBron some strong leverage should he truly want to leave.
The Lakers do not have an obvious path to firmly establishing themselves as a contender in 2025-26 without the presence of another superstar like James beside Luka Doncic. This brings us back to a key word just stated above: leverage.
Buha and Amick wrote the following statement in the previously-referenced write-up: "I think LeBron’s going to have high expectations for the roster,' [Rob] Pelinka said Thursday. 'And we’re going to do everything we can to meet those.”
The likeliest scenario of James' weighing his future would be a simple tactic to put some pressure on the front office. Does the all-time great really want to leave, or does he simply want a team around him in Los Angeles that has genuine championship upside?
Only James truly knows the answer to that. However, one thing that is for sure would be the fact that his presence would be sorely missed should the trigger be pulled on such a bold move late into his legendary career.