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The Los Angeles Lakers made a flurry of moves to start free agency. They brought in center Walker Kessler, guards Collin Sexton and Quentin Grimes, and signed center Sandro Mamukelashvili.
The Lakers are moving on from LeBron James, which will mark the first time the franchise has been without him in nine seasons. James notified the Lakers earlier in the week that he would not be returning.
“LeBron James will return for an unprecedented 24th season in the NBA -- but it won't be with the Los Angeles Lakers. James has informed the Lakers that the franchise can move on without him because he will play elsewhere, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul told ESPN's Shams Charania on Tuesday,” ESPN wrote.
James is open to several teams around the league, but the three that stand out are Cleveland, Miami, and Golden State.
“The Warriors are in play, Cleveland is in play, Miami has interest as well. Those are only teams for sure I know are legitimate options. I’m told people close to LeBron that he’s going to be patient. It’s not about money. It’s about which team has a legitimate shot at contending for a championship because he believes he can still play at a high level,” NBA reporter Chris Haynes said.
It was somewhat surprising that James informed Los Angeles he would not be returning. However, ever since the Lakers offloaded parts of their core to acquire Russell Westbrook, James has not had a strong relationship with the organization.
“There was more of a disconnect between James and the organization, sources said, one that started during the doomed 2021-22 season following the Russell Westbrook trade and never fully recovered. Ultimately, James recognized the Lakers were in a different phase with their franchise and chose to prioritize his basketball happiness, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania, in finding his next situation,” ESPN’s Dave McMenamin wrote.
It seems this has been a long time coming for James, as he has not fully embraced many of the moves the Lakers have made in recent years. In the final stage of his career, he appears focused entirely on chasing a championship.
The Russell Westbrook trade may have been what first cracked the foundation for James in Los Angeles, and moving on from Anthony Davis likely widened that divide. This summer has been a dramatic one for the Lakers, involving both James and Davis.
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