LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers waves to fans after the game against the Phoenix Suns at Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, California, on Oct. 6, 2024. (Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers’ future may have been decided long before the start of the 2026 offseason.
According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, the Lakers met with franchise cornerstone Luka Dončić last summer and outlined their long-term vision for the organization. One of the biggest revelations from that meeting was who wasn’t part of those plans.
“At that meeting they laid out their plans… in those plans, they did NOT include LeBron James.”
The report adds another layer to what has become one of the NBA’s biggest offseason storylines after LeBron informed the Lakers that he intends to continue playing but encouraged the organization to move forward with its future plans elsewhere.
If Shelburne’s reporting is accurate, the Lakers’ transition away from the NBA’s all-time leading scorer wasn’t a last-minute decision fueled by free agency. Instead, it appears the franchise had already begun charting a post-LeBron era centered around Dončić.
That would explain why recent reports have indicated the Lakers are fully committed to building around the 27-year-old superstar. It also provides context for why LeBron’s departure, while shocking to many fans, may not have caught the organization off guard.
For nearly a decade, LeBron was the face of the Lakers, delivering the franchise’s 17th NBA championship in 2020 while helping restore relevance to one of the league’s most iconic organizations. However, every era eventually comes to an end, and all signs now point to Los Angeles beginning its next chapter with Dončić as the centerpiece.
The biggest question now becomes where LeBron lands next.
Multiple reports have linked the four-time NBA champion to teams including the Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Miami Heat, setting the stage for one of the most closely watched free agency decisions in league history.
Whether this was a carefully orchestrated succession plan or simply prudent long-term planning by the Lakers, Shelburne’s report suggests the organization had already envisioned its future—and that future no longer featured LeBron James.
