Since Luka Doncic has confirmed his long-term future in LA, the next question on every Lakers fan’s mind is what happens now to LeBron James. While some speculate James will not retire in LA, Rich Paul has confirmed that he is not going anywhere this season. Therefore, the Lakers need to decide whether they are rebuilding around Luka Doncic to compete in the future or giving James and him the assets in a win-now mode.
According to Nick Wright of Fox Sports, the Lakers should “press the gas” pedal on James’ potentially last season with the Lakers, as he is the best teammate Doncic has ever had and could potentially be the best one he has ever had.
Wright believes that unless the Lakers are planning a move for Giannis Antetokounmpo or Nikola Jokic in 2027, they should give up the dream of keeping their salary cap free for 2027 and make win-now moves with their trades this offseason.
“I think it’s overwhelmingly likely that over the lifetime of this extension, Luka never has a teammate better than LeBron is right now. Listen, maybe they’re going to get Giannis, and I’ll be wrong, or maybe they have their eyes on Joker, and I’ll be wrong. But Shai ain’t going anywhere, Tatum’s not going anywhere, and now we’re running out of players who are better than LeBron right now.”
“Fair or not, there is some obvious frustration for LeBron. I don’t think it’s between Luka and LeBron at all. I would if I were the Lakers, prioritize pressing the gas even more on this season.”
“Now again, if they have real intel that if they keep the cap sheet clean, in two years, Giannis plans on just coming there in free agency, then keep it flexible. But that’s a hell of a gamble to take.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo is currently on contract with the Bucks until the end of the 2026-27 season, with a player option in the 2027-28 season. With the rumors of his potential consideration to leave Milwaukee, teams around the league are preparing themselves for a race to sign him if he chooses to leave the Bucks.
Similarly, Nikola Jokic has also sparked some rumors about his future in Denver after refusing to sign an extension this summer and a slip of the tongue about his retirement plans. He is on contract with the Nuggets until the end of the 2026-27 season, along with a player option for 2027-28 if he chooses to accept it.
Both of these players could potentially become free agents in 2027, and that is when the Lakers plan to make a big move. While it may seem like a sound plan at the moment to keep their salary caps clean for the future, both of these players could decide to stay with their teams.
Hence, unless the Lakers have confirmed intel on their availability in 2027-28, it would be a major gamble to give up on LeBron James’ potential final season to wait for these two superstars.
