This Los Angeles Lakers playoff run should all but confirm one thing for LeBron James: his current team still provides the best opportunity to capture that elusive fifth ring of his career. How could anyone walk away with a conclusion other than that?
For the most part, the murmurings around James' future have involved the same expected outcomes with regard to what happens after his 2025-26 season comes to an end. If LeBron does not retire, there have been three main teams typically linked as his next (and likely final) chapter.
That would be the Lakers, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Golden State Warriors. Look at those three squads and try to justify how James would have a better opportunity at ring number five with anyone but Los Angeles.
James has given the Lakers plenty of reason to want him back after these playoffs. This potential reunion may be a decision that comes down to the player more than the team. If that is the case, and winning is the most important thing at this stage of LeBron's career, LA is the easy choice.
Lakers are knocking at the door of contention, but they need LeBron James for it
The Lakers were written off heading into their first-round series without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves (the latter of whom came back in Game 5). It was the Houston Rockets who ended up being sent to Cancun, not James and company.
Now, in the second round against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, the injuries have caught up to the Lakers more. The Thunder are headed to Los Angeles with a 2-0 series lead.
However, those games have been competitive and hard-fought. Despite what the final scores will tell you, the Lakers have been right in those contests. That is all while Doncic continues to miss time with a grade 2 hamstring strain.
For Lakers fans, that will inevitably create a massive what-if for this year's playoffs. How differently could things have been with Luka being available for the postseason?
For LeBron, his massive what-if comes from potentially departing in the offseason. The Lakers turned the corner in March and have not looked back. If they are managing these levels of compete against the Thunder without Doncic, what would an improved unit look like next season?
JJ Redick has proven himself as an elite coach. A clear foundation for competitive basketball has been laid down. The final pieces will just need to be put in place during the summer.
Naturally, the unspoken thing here is that for the Lakers to truly have their best shot at contending, they do need that pay cut from LeBron. If that is something the all-time great is willing to give, this could be a championship-level roster next season.
The Warriors have Stephen Curry, but have largely failed to put a great team on the floor in recent years. The Cavaliers struggled to beat the Toronto Raptors in the first round, and are now down 0-2 to the Detroit Pistons. They have a lot of talent, but the pieces are not quite complimentary of one another.
If James departs from the Lakers in the summer, a feeling of unfinished business will follow him to his next destination. It really does feel like Los Angeles is close. Giving up before the breakthrough could cost LeBron an opportunity to ride into the sunset with his fifth and final championship.
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