Ever since LeBron James decided to exercise the player option on his contract for the 2025-26 season, many have been speculating that he will ask to be traded at some point after some comments from his agent. Rich Paul, seemed to leave the door open for such a decision.
James is infamously passive-aggressive, and it certainly feels like this is the beginning of the end of his time with the Lakers, one way or another. The franchise is now building for and around Luka Doncic, as Doncic is 26 and could have a decade of elite basketball in a Purple and Gold uniform left in him.
According to Lakers reporter Jovan Buha, James’ relationship with the team may not be in a good place right now (h/t Lakers Daily).
“I mean, I want to be careful with what I say about Bron’s relationship with the front office or the organization, but I don’t think it’s in the best place right now, to be completely honest,” Buha said.
James will make $52.6 million this coming season, and it appears he still has enough in his tank to play superstar-level basketball. He averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds a game while shooting 51.3% from the field and 37.6% from 3-point range this past season and was named to the All-NBA Second Team.
With Doncic on board, the 40-year-old can now conserve his energy on offense like never before, and that alone could allow him to continue to age gracefully.
But of course, it remains to be seen how the rest of his NBA career will play out, especially when it comes to which team or teams he will play for from here on out.
