The future of the Los Angeles Lakers isn’t as clear-cut as it seemed to be less than a season ago. After landing Luka Doncic in one of the biggest trades in NBA history, the Lakers expected a duo of the Slovenian star and LeBron James to lead the way for the future. Those plans may now have hit a fork in the road after James’ intentions became public.
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LeBron has never been a player who is content with the bare minimum. He has always prioritized winning, even if that required a change of scenery. The Lakers are beginning to experience the pull that James has, specifically through his manager Rich Paul.
When the Lakers first signed LeBron in 2018, he was their prized possession. He was the savior of the team’s stretch of mediocrity. Eventually, he led the Lakers to an NBA championship in 2020. In terms of this era’s team, James was undoubtedly the face of the franchise.
After the Lakers acquired Doncic, it became apparent he would be the future face of the franchise. NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins believes that process may have accelerated once the Buss family sold the team to Mark Walter.
“It’s a new sheriff in town,” Perkins proclaimed on Perk Unplugged. “They have a new owner. It’s not just because of the owner. It’s because of the focal points. Your franchise guy now is Luka Doncic.”
James is no longer the team’s prized possession; it’s Doncic. He has served his purpose, but now it is time to usher in a new era. This reality may come as an undesirable outcome for James and his team.
“[The face of the Lakers] is not a 40-year-old LeBron James. It’s not Rich Paul and Klutch Sports,” Perkins boldly claimed.
By no means does this insinuate that LeBron isn’t a good basketball player. He is still amazing, but his timeline doesn’t quite align with the direction the Lakers are heading.
Luka is only 26 years old and has shown the basketball world that he is a generational player. His last showing with the Lakers wasn’t the best impression, considering the team fell in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs. However, the Dallas Mavericks have shown that Doncic, with a team built around him, can reach the NBA Finals.
LeBron’s years in the NBA are coming to an end. He may ride off into the sunset as a Laker. He just won’t be doing it as the face of the Lakers franchise.
