LeBron James is as calculated as ever if latest Lakers rumors are true

LeBron James outwardly told people to stop reading between the lines when the four-time champion was on a social media streak that featured the Cleveland Cavaliers. Brian Windhorst and Ramona Shelburne had a source that did not agree with that outright dismissal.

The pair of ESPN personalities teamed up recently for an inside look at the Los Angeles Lakers and their 'delicate superstar transition' from the James era to the Luka Doncic era. One of the messages in that article was not overlooking that of LeBron's posturing.

The pair wrote, "Nothing LeBron does is a coincidence,' said one source who knows him well. ... James' history of plotting contract structures and opening options to move teams years in advance suggests he does not do anything without a larger plan."

There were several eye-opening messages in the report. One thing is abundantly clear: this could get ugly if a resolution does not materialize soon. The more comes out from behind closed doors, the more it becomes clear this marriage needs a divorce.

Lakers and James should go their separate ways

If the Lakers are to continue their current approach of handling their affairs with James, a trade is undoubtedly the best solution for both sides. Los Angeles has not talked shop regarding a new extension, according to the report. They did not even loop LeBron in on the sale of the team.

Doncic was given that grace. The Lakers superstar point guard has been front and center of all their plans moving forward. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but leaving James out entirely was bound to create issues.

Windhorst and Shelburne noted one of their sources thought there was friction around the fact that Doncic 'had never asked to be a Laker.' James certainly did make that decision when signing with the team, and pulling them out of the gutter, in 2018.

The Lakers' current tactics are sending them at breakneck speed towards having a disgruntled superstar. Prioritizing Doncic would be a good look if it were not for sabotaging his main source of on-court support on the team, as things currently stand.

If the 2025-26 season comes to pass and James is still in Los Angeles, how do the Lakers expect to be successful with an environment like this behind the scenes? Even if the intention is to only have the all-time great around for one more season, this is the wrong way to go about it.

Perhaps this saga is being a touch overplayed by these media outlets due to the lack of noteworthy stories happening in free agency. However, if all of this is anywhere near as messy as it sounds, working together on a trade is the easiest solution to cleaning up all of this reported drama.