The Los Angeles Lakers will not get any help from LeBron James in building out their roster around Luka Dončić, their new face of the franchise for the next decade.
Unlike last offseason when James took a paycut to help the Lakers get under the first apron, James is taking no discount this time, Jovan Buha and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported in the aftermath of the Lakers’ elimination from the postseason.
James agreed to cut about $2.7 million from his salary for this season to help the Lakers gain flexibility to build out a roster around him and Anthony Davis back then.
But after Davis was unceremoniously traded for Dončić, James’ feelings toward the organization have changed.
James took notice of how the Lakers accommodated Dončić right away after the trade, while his and Davis’ wishes were not met in the recent past.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that after the Lakers traded for Mark Williams, which was later rescinded due to a failed physical, it had a noticeable impact on James’ changing dynamics with the organization.
“This enthusiasm and eagerness to make Doncic happy haven’t always been seen in instances with James. What is clear is that Doncic will have a say. And it wasn’t lost on James’ camp,” ESPN’s Dave McMenamin wrote. “Pelinka prioritized Doncic’s involvement upon his arrival and immediately engaged in the Williams trade that he’d asked for, when James had for years wanted the team to trade its picks to improve its roster.”
Veiled Shot at Lakers?
James’ unsolicited quip on the Davis trade during his postgame press conference after they got bounced in the first round is a seemingly veiled shot at the Lakers.
“No comment, I’ll never say that, because my guy AD (Davis) said what he needed, and he was gone the following week,” James said in jest. “I got no comment. I put that uniform on every night, I gave everything that I had, and that’s all that matters.”
As they say, jokes are half meant.
James has a $52.7 million player option for next season, which he has to decide on by June 29.
“You don’t know what the roster will look like next year besides the guys that are locked into contracts,” James said. “[Expletive], I got a lot to think about myself. So I don’t know what the roster will look like. I don’t know where I stand right now.”
The Lakers do not have enough cap room in the offseason to sign a significant addition in the free agent market if James opts into his player option.
Lebron Won’t Recruit Luka to Stay in L.A.
After James made recruitment pitches in the past, most recently with Klay Thompson in their failed pursuit last offseason, he’s no longer keen on doing that anymore for the Lakers.
That was abundantly clear when he made his clear stance on the Lakers’ pitch to have Dončić’s commitment to the organization beyond next season.
“No, that ain’t my job,” James told ESPN. “I think … I don’t think, I know, Luka knows how I feel about him. And ultimately, that trade happened for the future. That’s not for me. Luka has to decide what he has to do with his future. He’s [26] years old, I’m 40, so he can’t be basing his career off me. That’s just real.
“But I hope, obviously, [he stays long term]. Laker fans [expletive] love him here. L.A. has accepted him. We love him as a teammate, as a brother. But ultimately, he’s got to make a decision for himself. [Expletive], I ain’t going to be around much longer.”
Dončić is extension-eligible this summer. If he doesn’t sign an extension, he can become an unrestricted free agent after next season if he doesn’t pick up his $49 million player option for the 2026-27 season.
