Back in 2018, the Los Angeles Lakers’ adding LeBron James was a pretty straightforward decision to make. In 2026, it’s not so simple. Not just because he’s older, but because it’s difficult to figure out how he fits with the makeup of their team. For that reason, no one knows what his next move is.
LeBron James Re-Signing with the Lakers Remains Up in the Air
During his appearance on “5 Good Minutes With Windy,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst explained why it’s weird that James isn’t communicating with the Lakers because teams are allowed to do that.
“Yeah, I think it’s unusual because, as you can tell out there that teams with their free agents are doing their business,” Windhorst said. “Not only getting giuys re-signed but getting a good feel for where they are. And the Lakers have two choices here. They have $50 million in cap space.”
“They have to use the cap space to sign LeBron on some level if they’re going to keep him, and so they either can prioritize LeBron or make him last.”
“Yeah, I think it’s unusual,” – @WindhorstESPN on the reported lack of communication between the Lakers and LeBron James to this point.
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— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) June 26, 2026
It didn’t stop there. James recently went on a trip with some of his former Cleveland Cavaliers teammates (some of whom reunited with James on the Lakers), who could have gotten the scoop on where he’s going next. Per Windhorst, mum is the word.
“All those guys were just all together, and I was just with some of those guys when they came back,” Windhorst said on “5 Minutes with Windy.” “Richard Jefferson and Iman Shumpert are my teammates at ESPN. Trust me, those guys asked LeBron what he was planning on doing, and LeBron did not tell them.”
“Trust me, those guys asked LeBron what he was planning on doing and LeBron did not tell them,” – @WindhorstESPN on LeBron James’ future plans.
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— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) June 26, 2026
Even though James is known to stir up drama when it comes to who he plans to play for next, he does a pretty good job of keeping things under wraps at the same time. Who he played for next would be the most captivating storyline in every offseason he became a free agent, but this time around, it’s not as much.
That’s not to say it isn’t still captivating because he is still a good enough player to be a game-changer on a playoff contender. It would depend on which team he would join. He could re-sign with the Lakers, but the roster is still heavily flawed despite the additions of Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves.
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James clearly wants to make his decision on his own, without anyone knowing in advance what he plans to do. This time, the possibility of him rejoining one of his old teams, like Cleveland or Miami, or even retiring, will really grab everyone’s attention this summer.
He’s justified in not wanting to return to the Lakers if they don’t want to pay him, but it does leave them scrambling if and when he jumps ship.
