The Los Angeles Lakers have had quite the offseason. They’ve secured the future of their franchise by keeping Luka Dončić happy, signing him to a three-year extension. However, LeBron James isn’t nearly as satisfied, as the team is no longer building around him. The Lakers are clearly shifting away from James’ championship timeline.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Rich Paul told ESPN. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”
At this point, building around James is practically impossible due to salary cap restrictions. Under the current CBA, the Lakers can’t make any significant roster moves involving new signings until January—unless a trade is made.
“Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors goes into great detail [about] the financial situation LA finds itself currently in. The Lakers essentially will not be able to sign another player (on a minimum salary deal) until January 18 unless a trade to shed salary occurs before then. Much of this was put in place based on the signings already made this summer,” SI’s Jason Fray wrote.
Still, there’s a path that could mark the end of the LeBron era in Los Angeles: a trade to the Miami Heat.
“Los Angeles Lakers receive small forward Andrew Wiggins, small forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. and future first-round pick. Miami Heat receive small forward LeBron James and shooting guard Bronny James,” SI’s Dave Holcomb wrote.
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
If such a deal happens, it would be the end of an era—but one that could benefit both sides. James would return to a familiar franchise, pairing up with a shooter in Tyler Herro and a dominant big in Bam Adebayo. Meanwhile, the Lakers would be fully committed to the future, with Luka Dončić as their centerpiece and young assets to develop around him.
