During the 2025-26 season, LeBron James was able to have a good laugh at the notion of any team being better without him. When the Los Angeles Lakers were surging in the month of March, James was able to confidently ridicule the idea without any shred of a doubt.
"It sells papers a lot easier. And clippings and podcasts, if you say LeBron, their team is better without him. A lot of people will try to view it, so I get it. They're absolutely wrong.”
Fast-forward to June, and James' looming free agency sweepstakes will force the Lakers to confront a similar topic. It is not as simple as whether Los Angeles are a better team without LeBron. It is a more nuanced question that covers fit and specific dynamics with this group.
Long and short: Are the Lakers better off with the sum of his parts than James himself?
Building the Lakers roster for next season comes with tackling the LeBron James question
This was a discussion Jovan Buha and Iztok Franko had on a recent episode of Buha's Block. It is more than warranted too.
The simple breakdown of what was brought up is this: there is arguably no better player out there in free agency than LeBron. However, that may not immediately make him better for the roster than the multiple players who the Lakers can use their cap space on.
James said earlier this offseason that the decision on his next team could come as late as August. If that is the case, the Lakers cannot afford to wait around until that stage of free agency with major cap space in their pocket to pay him. They have other weaknesses that would need to be addressed.
Reserving anything close to a max contract for a player who has one, maybe two, more years in the tank when the focus is building around a 27-year-old franchise player is tough. In the Lakers' case, Luka Doncic will be the focus beyond any doubt, and they can get multiple people through the door with the greatest asset available to them in the summer — money.
That does not mean there is no spot for James. There should be. It just should not come at the expense of the long-term boost the Lakers can find for their roster.
That feels especially true after watching this postseason. James was masterful in keeping the Lakers afloat. However, watching LeBron elevate himself up that ladder should have also quietly served as a reminder of how he is best utilized at this stage of his career. There is still considerable overlap in that regard between him and Doncic.
The rumor mill continues to suggest James wants to be back in Los Angeles. The Lakers should want him in town, too. They have a future with Doncic to prioritize, though. The reunion would need to come at favorable circumstances. Otherwise, they will need to revisit the major question facing them here.
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