LeBron James’ best chance to win another ring might actually be with the Lakers

It all went according to plan against the Jazz as Doncic (37 PTS) and Reaves (26 PTS) continued to carry the load offensively, allowing James to work his way back into the swing of things.

There had been speculation throughout the summer and into the season about the four-time MVP's future in Los Angeles. That was due to the potential of having to take more of a backseat behind Doncic and sometimes Reaves, along with questions about the Lakers' true chances of competing for a championship. 

Those were fair concerns for James as he embarked on the final few years of his illustrious career; however, Thursday night and the first 15 games have shown that this Lakers team can compete for a title.

We’ve all heard the rumors over the last year of destinations where the future Hall of Famer could go chase one more ring: Dallas, Golden State, New York and even back home to Cleveland.

While those would all have been intriguing landing spots at one time or another, the way the Lakers have looked in 2025-26 makes it clear his best shot to win now and even in the next few years to come is in Los Angeles.

LeBron should stay in L.A.

Now that James is back in the lineup and the Lakers continue to surge, any noise around his departure should quiet down.

The 40-year-old is playing on an expiring contract, in the final season of the two-year, $101.356 million extension he inked to stay in Los Angeles in 2024. 

A poor start to the season with LeBron on the shelf would have led to major buzz about his future as a pending UFA, but that has been put on the back burner thanks to how well everything went through the first month of the campaign. 

His return forms a big three with Doncic and Reaves that very few teams in the NBA can match up with. Pair that with the solid play from Ayton and Rui Hachimura and a handful of productive bench pieces in Jake LaRavia, Marcus Smart and others, and the Lakers have the ingredients of a championship-caliber team. 

And don't forget general manager Rob Pelinka is always aggressive, and the same approach should be expected as we near the trade deadline.

Add another impact piece or two onto the roster already established, and Los Angeles would be a real threat to knock off an Oklahoma City, Denver or Houston come the postseason.

What a story it would be if James were able to add a fifth championship to his resume in year 23, in Los Angeles, as a Laker.