When the Los Angeles Lakers traded for Luka Dončić last season, it left everyone in the basketball community shocked.
LeBron James teaming up with Dončić was unexpected but extremely exciting. Two generational players are now on the same team.
Now, following a bounce from the playoffs in the first round, there are reports from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Ramona Shelbourne holding strong opinions about the current state of James’ relationship with the organization.
“The Lakers had already made their statement in not offering James a contract beyond this season. It was abundantly clear that the 21-time All-Star’s time as the face of the Lakers had, for the first time, a planned end date, even if James’ record-setting NBA career did not yet,” Windhorst and Shelbourne said Friday. “Whether the 2025-26 season is to be James’ final season in the NBA is up to him. But if he wanted the kind of Hollywood ending that only the Lakers can give legends of the game, the release date was set. Spring, 2026. Luka Dončić in, LeBron James out.”
Although there’s a lot to consider in this situation, only a few variables are actually important.
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James has allegedly felt that the Lakers have not prioritized him ever since acquiring Dončić, as he was not given a warning that they were even trading for Dončić.
LeBron was never given notice that his friend and teammate, Anthony Davis, would be traded — which certainly could have rubbed him the wrong way.
Of course, the final domino being the organization deciding not to offer him an extension, the first time a team has not jumped on the opportunity to keep him around in his lengthy career.
What once was a crazy idea has quickly turned into a reality.
The Lakers are gearing up for a post-LeBron era, and it may be approaching faster than anyone expected — and without the King’s say in the matter.
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