After LeBron James picked up his $52.6 million player option, there were speculations around James’ future with the Lakers. Rich Paul, his agent, acknowledged that he knows the team is now building its future around Luka Doncic. But according to Ramona Shelbourne of ESPN, the Lakers are not even consulting James anymore for any moves they make in free agency.
“They’re not consulting with LeBron this year,” said the NBA insider on ESPN about the Lakers’ front office.
LeBron James has been infamous for changing the landscape of the teams he is on during free agency. So much so that it famously earned him the nickname “LeGM” among NBA fans because of how much James was able to influence the front office of any team he has been on. But nearing the end of his career, it is time for him to come to terms that he may not be the biggest priority for any team he is on anymore.
Following the bubble championship, the Lakers have had three first-round exits, one visit to the Western Conference Finals where they got blown out (2023), and one failure to even make the Playoffs (2022). The front office is acknowledging that their championship window with James is closing, and they need to prepare for their future as if James is not there anymore.
James just picked up the final year player option on his two-year extension that he signed with the Lakers last season. Rich Paul’s statement after his decision indicated that James is still keeping an eye on the Lakers’ free agency moves, but that is towards deciding his future, and not influencing them like he was constantly accused of doing in his career.
According to Chris Haynes, Rich Paul has now clarified that James has no interest in getting traded and he still believes in the Lakers’ front office and their vision for the coming season to build around Luka Doncic.
“What he is saying on behalf of LeBron James is that LeBron James has a few years left to play, and he’s still playing at a high level. He wants to win, and he said LeBron understands the priority is Luka and maximizing his timeline… He made it clear LeBron is supportive of that. At the same time, the desire is that the Lakers also prioritize him as well and make sure they’re doing everything that they can to still compete now. That’s all he was saying.”
“[Rich Paul] told me there have been no trade discussions, there have been no trade talks with the Lakers, people have been speculating on certain teams that he might be interested in. I’m told that all that talk is false. There has been no trade talk, there has been no extension talk. He clearly opted in, and he wants to win. He believes the Lakers have what it takes to maximize Luka’s timeline, but also maximize and prioritize his timeline. That’s what Rich Paul wanted to get clear.”
Now that the trade rumors have been put to rest, will James accept this role of being the second option to Doncic? And if he does not like the moves the Lakers have made in free agency, what will he do then? So many questions still revolve around James’ future. But one thing is for sure: we are witnessing the fading end of James’ epic legacy in the NBA.
