An interesting opinion by a prominent NBA insider explains why 2025-26 will be LeBron James‘ final season with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Feb. 1 will forever be remembered as one of the most shocking days in NBA history. On that day, the Dallas Mavericks made a decision they will forever regret when they decided to trade the face of the franchise, Luka Doncic, to the Lakers. But not only was it bad because they sent him to a conference rival, but the return was far below what they could have gotten if they opened up a pursuit to the rest of the league.
The blockbuster trade was a major coup for Los Angeles. Not just because they added an elite talent to the roster, but the underlying story was the acquisition of a new top star. In the weeks and months following the trade, a clear shift happened where the front office moved towards catering to Doncic, instead of league legend LeBron James.
It’s why rumors swirled in the summer that the team might trade the 21-time All-Star. In the end, cooler heads prevailed, and James has welcomed playing a secondary role to the Slovenian. However, there may be a new reason that James is very unlikely to return to the Lakers after this season.
Rise of Austin Reaves will Push LeBron James off LA Lakers Roster in 2026
One of the biggest stories for the LA Lakers this season is five-year veteran Austin Reaves taking another big leap forward in his game. The 27-year-old is second on the team in points (27.8) and minutes (36.9), and third in assists (6.7).
His breakout season has created the likelihood that he will opt out of the final year of his deal to pursue a huge raise in NBA free agency this summer. It is something the Lakers should, and probably will, give him to be the long-term wing man to Doncic. That will create an important payroll decision for the Lakers, because James will be a free agent this offseason as well.
“They have to do some long-term team building, and they’ve got to decide; in the modern NBA, it’s very hard to team build with three players on huge contracts,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on SiriusXM NBA Radio this week. “Those three players better be absolute, freaking studs. So, I don’t think the Lakers can have three guys on giant max contracts and build this team around Luka.
Austin Reaves stats: 27.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 6.7 APG, 1.0 SPG, 37% 3PT
In his opinion, he believes LeBron James would need to make a major contract “sacrifice” if he wants to play in Los Angeles again next season. The big question is, will one of the richest players and smartest businessmen in NBA history be willing to take a major discount to return to the Lakers?
The current CBA comes with heavy penalties for teams that go over the second luxury tax apron of $188.9 million.
