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LeBron James' Time With Lakers 'Coming to an End': Report

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Max Dible | Last updated Jul 1, 2025 10:36 AM ET

LeBron James is entering a different phase of his career as he approaches a record 23rd NBA season in 2025-26 -- one where he is no longer the center of attention, not just in the league, but on his own team.

James opted into the $52.6 million player option on his current contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, then immediately sent the team a public message through the media via his agent Rich Paul that he is "monitoring" its offseason moves. Paul added that James wants to compete for a championship right now.

The implication is that if the Lakers don't exhaust their assets to build as strong of a championship contender as possible this summer, then James could potentially demand a trade. For almost the entirety of James' Hall of Fame career, that quasi-threat is one any team for which he was playing would have had to take with deathly seriousness.

But not so much anymore.

Yes, James was a second-team All-NBA player during his age 40-campaign this past year -- but he is no longer the best player on his own team. That honor belongs clearly to 26-year-old Luka Doncic, and Doncic is the player around whom L.A. must focus its longterm reconstruction efforts.

James holds a no-trade clause, meaning he can veto any deal the Lakers might try and make this year, but he can't make Los Angeles trade him.

ESPN's Bobby Marks reported Monday that there is essentially no market for James given his age, salary and the trade return he would demand. Marks added on the Tuesday, July 1 edition of "Get Up" that the Lakers could potentially open up slots for two max players next offseason, which would make considerably more sense with regards to the long game of competing for a championship with Doncic as the team's center.

"Get Up" host Dan Graziano asked Brian Windhorst what that all means for James in L.A.

"LeBron James' time with the Lakers is coming to an end," Windhorst replied.

What that means exactly may not be clear until free agency winds down, or even until the mid-season trade deadline approaches in early February. If a trade materializes, James could be gone in the coming weeks or months. Otherwise, the end of the upcoming season could spell the end of his Lakers tenure.

James has no deal beyond 2025-26. He has no opt-out leverage. And he can ask for a trade, but he can't force the Lakers to make a bad one, which may be all that is out there for Los Angeles now and in the foreseeable future -- potentially the entirety of next season.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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