The LA Lakers and LeBron James officially parted ways in June after eight historic seasons, leaving NBA fans shocked when the 22-time All-Star signed a two-year, $8 million veteran minimum deal with the Philadelphia 76ers as a free agent.
Shortly after James ended the longest free agency of his career, another blockbuster news story hit the hoops world. Mark Walter, who bought the Lakers from the Buss family for a staggering $10 billion in 2025, is now selling his controlling stake in the franchise to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger for a record $12.5 billion.
NBA Community Reacts to Report Claiming a Faster Sale Might Have Kept LeBron James With the Lakers
While the money involved in the deal has sent the NBA forum into a frenzy, it has also prompted speculation about whether an earlier sale could have kept King James in LA.
According to ESPN’s NBA reporter Dave McMenamin, when ESPN asked a source close to James whether a quicker ownership change could have kept the four-time MVP in LA alongside Luka Dončić, the response sparked immediate debate across the league.
“Maybe,” the source said. “But that’s tough to answer. Communication could have been better [with Iger and Kushner, compared to with Walter]. Just a different relationship. But the basketball piece was the most important, so maybe not from that standpoint.”
A source close to LeBron said the ownership change by the Lakers “maybe” would have influenced his decision if it happened first, per @mcten 👀
“Maybe. … Communication could have been better [with Bob Iger and Josh Kushner, compared to Mark Walter]. Just a different… pic.twitter.com/zEM9cIU2wt
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 14, 2026
McMenamin further noted, “While Dončić was already being positioned as the team’s future from the moment he was acquired in February 2025, that perch was solidified last month when LeBron James left to eventually sign with the Philadelphia 76ers.”
Social media exploded with reactions to this revelation, with fans strongly dismissing the narrative.
Pointing to Josh Kushner’s brother Jared, one user posted, “Not buying it. LeBron would never play for Trump’s son-in-law.”
Not buying it. LeBron would never play for Trump’s son in law
— LONG LIVE ARSON JUDGE/Sabres fan by default (@bufnyy161st) August 14, 2026
A user pointed out that the franchise simply moved on, stating, “Bleacher Report still trying to distort the narrative. The Lakers moved on from LeBron. End of story.”
“I don’t buy it. He wanted a fresh scene, I’m convinced,” wrote another user.
“Really? ‘Maybe’ counts as news nowadays?” tweeted another account.
“Owners literally sold it cause Bron left lol,” speculated another.
Owners literally sold it cause Bron left lol
— Jon Lackey (@JonathanLackLuv) August 14, 2026
A user wrote, “That last part is the key. Relationships and communication matter, but at the end of the day, LeBron’s basketball fit was always going to be the deciding factor.”
A popular Lakers fan account added, “Did Rich Paul just tell Dave that LeBron felt pushed out by Walter and would have stayed under different ownership? Lol see y’all on the other side.”
It followed with another tweet to sum up the 2026 offseason: “Lmaoooo, this offseason the messiest in history.”
Lmaoooo this offseason the messiest in history
— 🏆LakersGuru🏆 (@GuruLakers) August 13, 2026
The ‘what-ifs’ surrounding the Lakers’ new ownership will not alter the NBA landscape’s new reality: James will don the Philadelphia 76ers’ jersey in the upcoming 2026-27 season.
