The morning of NBA free agency beginning came with a shockwave as LeBron James decided to leave the Los Angeles Lakers after eight seasons with the storied franchise.
The Lakers now have lots of money and lots of holes to fill heading into free agency without LeBron James on the roster. While it might be the right time to move on from him, it’s a lot of production to replace.
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LeBron James isn’t limiting his options. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, James has instructed agent Rich Paul to let interested teams know he’s willing to hear their pitches as he prepares for free agency.
Star forward LeBron James has asked his agent, Rich Paul, to let any interested teams know that he’s open to hearing what they can offer so he can decide which team he wants to join in free agency, a source familiar with the matter tells Dave McMenamin of ESPN (All Twitter links).
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LeBron James isn’t returning to the Lakers. Beyond that, he will seemingly keep everyone guessing. Not just this summer, but perhaps next summer, too. Per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, James has yet to determine whether he will play beyond the 2026-27 season.
The Los Angeles Lakers could face stiff competition to retain one of their top perimeter shooters in free agency. According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Dan Woike, the Phoenix Suns are expected to pursue veteran sharpshooter Luke Kennard once free agency officially opens.
With their outlook on free agency much clearer in the wake of the LeBron James news, the Lakers appear to be moving forward with intention. In search of adding more scoring and depth to the team’s bench, LA looks to be targeting another former Luka Dončić teammate guard in Quentin Grimes, as first reported by Marc Stein and Jake Fischer.
LeBron James has played his final game for the Los Angeles Lakers as it was reported that he has informed the team that he will continue his playing career elsewhere for the 2026-27 season.
Marcus Smart turned down his $5.4 million player option with the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, a move that looks increasingly like a prelude to his departure.