Lakers could move on from LeBron James, Luka Dončić pairing with slow start
While building around LeBron James has been the focus of his franchise's decision making process for each of his first 22 seasons, that will not be the case in 2025-26. Instead, the Lakers will prioritize building a long-term contender around Dončić.
That has been evident in their first offseason with the five-time first-team All-NBA guard on the roster. Los Angeles has only given out two-year deals in an effort to maintain cap flexibility and keep their books open for the stacked 2027 class -- where they are hoping to find a long-term co-star for Dončić.
Although James picked up his $52.6 million player option to return to the Lakers, John Hollinger of The Athletic suggested that the four-time MVP could be moved if the team struggles to start the season.
"This situation bears watching from both sides, particularly if L.A. starts the regular season slowly," The Athletic's John Hollinger wrote Monday. "The Lakers set themselves up to have max cap room next summer once James' salary comes off their books, taking advantage of an artificially low cap hold for Austin Reaves. If that's their angle, wouldn't it make sense to cash in their James stock if they aren't challenging at the top of the West?"
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
"Meanwhile, James has some power to choose his next destination via a no-trade clause, but free agency isn't what it used to be," Hollinger continued. "The best realistic way for him to get paid next summer by his team of choice is to land at his preferred destination via trade, and then have intact Bird rights in the summer of 2026."
If the Lakers are indeed set on maintaining cap flexibility for 2027, it will be difficult to find a trade partner that could match James' salary with contracts that will expire within the next two years -- all while keeping Los Angeles competitive around Dončić and providing James with an opportunity to contend for his fifth title. Furthermore, the luxury tax apron will add another challenge to a potential deal.
In all likelihood, James will play out his contract with the Lakers due to the complications of a trade. In fact, there have been some reports that he could re-sign and return to the franchise when his contract expires following the 2025-26 season.
The situation remains one to monitor, however, Los Angeles is hoping that their offseason moves will be enough to contend in a stacked Western Conference while keeping an eye towards the future. The Lakers have added Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia and Marcus Smart on two-year deals and appear to be active in looking for more upgrades via the trade market.
More NBA:
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Why did the Orioles and Rockies keep playing after fans evacuated seats?
BALTIMORE (AP) — The Baltimore Orioles and Colorado Rockies played through rain for about two innings Friday night even after fans were told to evacuate open areas of the seating bowl because of potential lightning in the area. It made for an unusual stretch of baseball at Camden Yards, with fans taking shelter for their own safety but players still on the field. The reason was that those two decisions are made by different people. The Orioles decided to clear fans from their seats, but the umpiring crew determines whether the game should continue. 'They did clear the stands unbeknownst to me,' crew chief Bill Miller said after Colorado's 6-5 win. "We are concerned about lightning, but the crew did not see any lightning in the area. We saw it from afar, but we didn't think at any time anybody on the field was in danger.' Fans were told to move around the start of the sixth inning, and it did indeed rain. Many spectators were still able to watch the game from sheltered seats with a view of the field. They were told they could go back to their original seats around the end of the seventh. The game was never delayed. 'I trust the fact that the umpires have our health and safety in their best judgment, and I applaud the Orioles for kind of clearing out the lower bowl and kind of mitigating any risk whatsoever, making sure that the fans were in a safe spot,' Baltimore interim manager Tony Mansolino said. Miller said he was receiving weather reports. 'I was getting updates every half-inning from the grounds crew gentleman. He said that we were going to get hit by a big storm in a half an hour. He said at 8:45 it was going to come. It was going to be windy, it was going to be rainy and there was going to be thunder and lightning,' Miller said. 'I asked him to give me a half-inning update, and it progressively diminished. The storm was decidedly moving south. He thought the top of it was going to catch us.' ___ AP MLB:
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Bronny James could participate in Drew League in Los Angeles
This month's summer league was a mixed bag for the Los Angeles Lakers. They went 1-3 in the main Las Vegas summer league, and Dalton Knecht, whom people were hoping would show some real signs of growth, struggled throughout. On the other hand, Bronny James played well on both ends of the floor, which has given people additional hope about his chances of eventually making it as an NBA rotation player. Every summer, the Drew League, a pro-am competition, is held in Los Angeles. There have been times when NBA superstars such as Kobe Bryant or LeBron James have shown up there, and commissioner Dino Smiley said that the younger James could participate this year. Via 'I've heard Bronny, but nothing clear on that yet. I heard Bronny might play. But nothing concrete. Earlier in the summer, there was talk about Dalton Knecht and Cam Christie playing.' The Drew League began play midway through last month, and its playoffs will start on Aug. 2. Some may be concerned that the younger James could get hurt playing against amateur players, but it could also give him an opportunity to sharpen his skills a bit and get in shape before training camp. This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Bronny James could participate in Drew League in Los Angeles
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Kyle Stowers homers, Otto Lopez hits tiebreaking double as Marlins beat Brewers
MILWAUKEE (AP) — All-Star Kyle Stowers hit his 23rd homer and Otto Lopez capped off a three-hit day with a tiebreaking double in the seventh inning to lead the Miami Marlins to a 5-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday. Lopez's double against Rick Mears cleared the bases, although he only got credit for two RBIs because the third run scored on a fielding error by center fielder Blake Perkins. Aaron Ashby (1-1), who allowed the leadoff batter to reach on an infield single, took the loss. Jackson Chourio hit his 17th homer for the Brewers, extending his hitting streak to a career-best 18 games. He's batting .367 (26 for 71) with four homers and 16 RBIs over that stretch. Miami's Cal Quantrill struck out four while allowing three hits without a walk over five innings. Josh Simpson (1-0) worked a scoreless sixth. Brewers starter Freddy Peralta also went five innings and allowed one run. Stowers sent Peralta's 2-2 changeup over the wall in center in the third. DIAMONDBACKS 1, PIRATES 0, 11 INNINGS PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ryne Nelson and two relievers combined for a one-hitter, Eugenio Suarez had a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the 11th inning and Arizona beat Pittsburgh. Nelson surrendered a triple by Tommy Pham off the Clemente Wall in right field with two outs in the second — the ball glancing off right fielder Corbin Carroll's glove before hitting the wall and bounding away — during his six innings of work. Anthony DeSclafani (1-1) followed with four hitless innings of his own. Kevin Ginkel left the tying run on third in the 11th for his third save. Suarez, who is the subject of active trade speculation with the deadline approaching next week, lofted a fly ball of Braxton Ashcraft (2-1) just deep enough near the line in right in the top of the 11th to score Carroll. ROCKIES 6, ORIOLES 5 BALTIMORE (AP) — Ezequiel Tovar hit a tiebreaking solo homer in the top of the eighth inning, and Colorado beat Baltimore to improve to 5-2 since the All-Star break. It's a rare run of success for the Rockies, who improved to 27-76 on the season but still need 15 wins to avoid matching the modern record of 121 losses by last year's Chicago White Sox. Colorado rallied from a 4-0 deficit after Jordan Westburg, Tyler O'Neill, Coby Mayo and Alex Jackson hit solo homers for Baltimore in the first two innings. Mickey Moniak hit a solo shot in the third for the Rockies and Thairo Estrada added a two-run homer in the fourth. Colorado took the lead in the fifth when Hunter Goodman hit an RBI double and then scored on Jordan Beck's single. Jackson Holliday tied it for the Orioles with an RBI single in the seventh off Rockies reliever Jake Bird (4-1). PHILLIES 12, YANKEES 5 NEW YORK (AP) — Kyle Schwarber hit a pair of two-run homers and J.T. Realmuto followed the Yankees' ninth error in four games with a tiebreaking, three-run drive in a four-run seventh inning, lifting Philadelphia over New York. Schwarber's tying drive in the fifth off Will Warren was his 1,000th hit and 319th homer, the most for a player reaching 1,000 — eight more than Mark McGwire. Trea Turner had his fourth four-hit game this year, including a triple, and walked for the Phillies, who scored 10 runs in the last three innings. Cody Bellinger, Austin Wells, Giancarlo Stanton and Anthony Volpe hit solo homers for the Yankees, who wasted 2-0 and 3-2 leads in dropping a season-high 5 1/2 games behind AL East-leading Toronto. New York led by seven games in late May but has gone 21-27 since. The Yankees have made 14 errors in July while allowing 32 homers. After Realmuto's homer built a 6-3 lead in a four-run seventh and the Yankees closed within a run in the bottom half. Schwarber connected off Ian Hamilton in the eighth for his 36th homer and 33rd multi-homer game. Schwarber has six homers in seven games since winning the All-Star Game swing-off. DODGERS 5, RED SOX 2 BOSTON (AP) — Shohei Ohtani did not homer -- for the first time in a week – but Teoscar Hernandez did on Friday night as Los Angeles beat Boston. Ohtani, who had tied the franchise record by homering in five consecutive games, struck out twice, singled, walked and popped up foul to the catcher. Hernandez had two hits for the Dodgers, including a two-run homer that made it 5-2 in the eighth. Emmet Sheehan (2-1) held Boston to three hits, striking out five in five innings. Ben Casparius pitched the ninth for his first career save. Brayan Bello (6-5) gave up three runs and six hits with two walks, striking out five in 5 1/3 innings for Boston. BLUE JAYS 6, TIGERS 2 DETROIT (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. doubled twice and scored a pair of runs as Toronto defeated slumping Detroit. The American League-leading Blue Jays are 7-1 since the All-Star break, while the Tigers have lost five straight and 11 of 12. José Berríos (7-4) picked up the win, giving up two runs on five hits and two walks in six innings. Keider Montero (4-3) took the loss, allowing six runs on nine hits in four-plus innings. CARDINALS 3, PADRES 0 ST. LOUIS (AP) — Masyn Winn drove in two runs, Willson Contreras had two hits and scored twice and St. Louis beat San Diego. Miles Mikolas (6-7) pitched into the sixth inning, allowing seven hits but no runs to pick up just his second win since May 23. Ryan Helsley pitched the ninth for his 21st save. Padres starter Nick Pivetta (10-3) sustained his first loss since May 11. The 32-year-old, who in his first year in San Diego and having a career year, gave up three runs on three hits in 6 1/3 innings. The Padres had 11 hits and stranded nine in their fourth consecutive loss.