The Lakers consider the future without LeBron: The cornerstone of the new team is Luka Doncic

LeBron James' seven seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers may have ended. He exercised the player option in the contract, extending his contract for one year until the summer of 2026. His salary next season is $52.6 million. The Lakers decided not to give LeBron James a long-term contract because they already had a young star who could build a team around him, Luca Doncic. LeBron will turn 41 in December next month, and his retirement may be quick, although his teammate Dalton Knecht said he can compete for another five to ten years.

This is the origin of guessing. James' contract affects the competitiveness of the Los Angeles Lakers in the free agent market as they can only leave $6 million in cap space for possible market operations.

"You know the Lakers are laying the foundation for the future. We want to evaluate what is the best for LeBron at this career and career stage." This is what his agent Ritchie Paul said after the player exercises the options. In the United States, these words are interpreted as not completely excluding the possibility of leaving the queue. It is perhaps a possibility to return to Cleveland

Return to the team that grew up early in the league and won the first NBA championship. LeBron James has a player deal veto clause. This means he can block any deals involving him and decide which team he is going to go, which would be a completely historic event if he returns to Cleveland. Such operations will not be easily completed, and it may involve three or four teams to balance salary and contracts.

The Cleveland Cavaliers were the second best team in the NBA last year (after the Thunder), who scored 64 wins and finished first in the Eastern Conference but were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers (4-1) in the semi-finals. They lack leadership at critical moments, and LeBron may be the champion puzzle they lack. Opinions of the

Team

Despite this possibility, some people are skeptical about it. (ESPN) believes that such transactions are impossible to happen. "I've talked to several teams and they told me I won't do that. Many teams may have to offer up to six players, which is not a wise decision. If he's a free agent, the team does try to do that," he noted.