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It seems as though the Los Angeles Lakers are good for a surprising roster move every now and then.
Take the Luka Doncic trade, for example. No one anticipated the Lakers sending Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Doncic on a random Saturday night in February of 2025. It happened, though, and the NBA world is still recovering from the shock of the midseason transaction.
Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey believes another shocking move could be on the horizon for the Lakers, citing that it would be in the franchise’s best interest to pass on unrestricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga and reunite Luka Doncic with his 41-year-old star teammate, who served as his sidekick last season.
“No matter what you think of Kuminga, it's hard to see him replacing LeBron as anything other than a massive talent downgrade,” Bailey said Thursday. “He's 18(!) years younger, but LeBron is a better creator, passer, and shooter. With him, Luka Doncic and (Austin) Reaves all on the roster, L.A. would be positioned to play most of a 48-minute game with two high-end playmakers on the floor.”
“Wednesday, L.A. officially renounced LeBron's free-agency rights (and by extension, his Bird rights), which means it can't exceed the cap to re-sign him. He'd be limited to the same minimum or exceptions with the Lakers he can get elsewhere.”
“But if Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez can get back together, if Michael Jordan could go back to the Chicago Bulls after his dalliance with baseball, and if the prodigal son could come home, LeBron and the Lakers can take back whatever was said in this summer's meeting, reunite and chase the 18th ring that would tie L.A. with the Boston Celtics.”
Renouncing James’ free agent rights on the eighth day of July all but confirmed what many already knew about the Lakers; the franchise is officially washing their hands of the four-time MVP after eight seasons and creating the necessary cap space to sign assets whom they’ve previously agreed to add to the roster.
Even if Los Angeles shockingly pursued James on the free agent market and, like Bailey noted, found an alternative way to bring him back to the fold, it’s clear he’s already moved on from the 17-time NBA champions.
Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, James is eyeing the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, and Cleveland Cavaliers, and has already informed the Lakers he’s no longer considering a reunion with the franchise.
That should be a clear indication that the four-time NBA champion is content with taking his talents elsewhere this summer.
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