Following the bombshell ESPN article about the Buss family drama that asserts Jeanie Buss “privately mused” about trading LeBron James in 2022 and “begrudgingly” offered him a contract extension in 2024, California Post NBA senior sports reporter Melissa Rohlin answers the most pressing questions.
Question: Will any of this affect whether LeBron James returns to the Lakers if he doesn’t retire after this season?
Heck no. James is going to do what’s best for James.
We’ve seen that over and over again throughout his 23-year career. After he decided to leave Cleveland for Miami in 2010, Cavs fans were so upset that they burned his jersey and Cavs owner Dan Gilbert wrote a letter to fans telling them they didn’t deserve such a “cowardly betrayal.”
Did that stop James from returning to Cleveland in 2014? No. Did that stop him from leading them to their first and only championship in 2016? No.
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Buss’s alleged frustrations with James are child’s play compared to Gilbert’s overt words of criticism.
What actually matters: James has been in Los Angeles for eight years, his longest contiguous stint in any city throughout his career. He loves Los Angeles.
His daughter, Zhuri, attends Sierra Canyon. His wife has a life and friends in the city. It’s hard to imagine him wanting to leave, especially if he believes he can compete for a championship alongside Luka Doncic.
So, you can bet your bottom dollar that Buss’s reported grievances with James aren’t going to move the needle one millimeter when it comes to his decision about his future.
Question: Should the Lakers even want James to return for another season?
That’s a tricky question.
James is still really, really good. He’s averaging 22.5 points on 51 percent shooting, six rebounds and seven assists for the Lakers, who are in fifth-place in the Western Conference with a record of 26-16 heading into Thursday’s game against the Clippers. James and Luka Doncic are increasingly finding their rhythm together on the court, and James has made it clear that he’s willing to bend his game to fit in alongside Doncic’s.
That said, James is earning $52.6 million this season and it’s hard to imagine him being willing to accept much less money, which is in direct odds with the Lakers’ primary focus of building around the 26-year-old Doncic.
In addition to James becoming an unrestricted free agent this summer, so will Austin Reaves, who is expected to earn $30-plus million/year after playing at an All-Star level this season. Considering Doncic signed a three-year, $165 million maximum contract extension in August, the Lakers are going to have to make some tough decisions.
And so are their stars.
The numbers don’t add up. Something’s gotta give.
If James re-signs with the Lakers in free agency, he’s going to need to accept a reduced salary, similar to what Dirk Nowitzki did during his final years in Dallas to allow them to build out the roster. Whether or not James is willing to do that is another question altogether.
Question: How is Luka Doncic impacted by all of this drama?
Psht, Doncic is coming off so much drama of his own after the shocking trade that sent him from Dallas to Los Angeles last February that my hunch is he’s just enjoying not being at the center of this controversy right now.
Other people’s drama, even if it’s his teammate’s, isn’t going to bring him down.
In the aftermath of what was considered the most shocking NBA trade of all-time, Doncic was dragged through the mud for his fitness and defensive skills. He responded by entering this season in arguably the best shape of his life and leads the NBA in scoring at 33.5 points a game. Now, all that matters to him is putting the Lakers in a position to win a championship. The drama is just white noise.
Question: How does this story impact the Lakers as a team the rest of the season?
This story won’t impact the Lakers the rest of the season.
The storyline that’s important? Is James going to retire?
Now, that one is a distraction.
If James decides not to retire this season, would any other team want their story next season to revolve around James’ farewell tour? Would the Lakers want that, especially if they’re in a real position to contend for a title with Doncic? James is widely considered one of the two greatest players of all-time, alongside Michael Jordan, and how his career ends will be one of the biggest sports stories — which is both a blessing and a curse for whatever team he’s on at that time.
Question: How much power does Rich Paul and Klutch Sports really have over the Lakers? NBA?
Less than they used to.
When James joined the Lakers in free agency in 2018, he (and Klutch Sports) had an incredible amount of influence over the Lakers. James helped convince Anthony Davis to demand a trade from New Orleans in 2019 and force his way onto the Lakers. James and Davis then led the team to their first championship in ten years in 2020.
James then encouraged the Lakers to acquire Russell Westbrook in 2021, which meant parting ways with some key members of the team’s 2020 championship core. And when that failed and the Lakers missed the playoffs in 2022, he put pressure on the team to trade Westbrook ahead of the 2023 trade deadline. The Lakers went on to send Westbrook to Utah and acquire six new players, and they reached the Western Conference Finals that season.
James was then behind the Lakers drafting his son, Bronny, with the 55th overall pick in June 2024. And he undoubtedly had influence in them hiring his former podcast partner, JJ Redick, as head coach that summer after Darvin Ham was fired.
But things dramatically shifted when the Lakers stunned the sports world by trading for Doncic last February. James didn’t know about that. It was the first time they made a major move without his consent.
And now that the Buss family has sold their majority ownership of the Lakers to Mark Walter, James’ influence has likely decreased even more. Walter doesn’t have loyalty to James. He’ll do what’s best for the team, not its superstar. Heck, after he took over the Dodgers, he didn’t hesitate to trade Matt Kemp.
Question: Is trading LeBron an option this season?
Not a chance.
He has a no-trade clause as part of his two-year, $104 million maximum contract extension that he signed with the Lakers in July 2024. James isn’t going anywhere this season — unless he wants to.
Does this story impact how the Lakers are viewed around the league?
Nope.
Ever since Jerry Buss died in 2013, the Lakers have been embroiled in the drama of his children. This is nothing new. And that drama matters less and less now. After the $10 billion sale of the Lakers, Jeanie is the only one of Jerry’s kids who’s in a leadership role with the Lakers. What matters around the league is that Doncic and James are on the Lakers and they’re a threat in the West.
That’s it.
Why does this story come out now?
Right?
That’s an interesting question. We’re just past the midway point of the season and only two weeks away from the Feb. 5 trade deadline. The timing is interesting, to say the least.
