The Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James have officially broken up after eight seasons.
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, James informed Los Angeles that he will not return to the team in 2026 and will sign somewhere else. The free agency tampering period is set to open at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
"BREAKING: LeBron James will continue his NBA career for the 2026-27 season and has informed the Los Angeles Lakers that the franchise can move on without him because he will play elsewhere, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN," Charania wrote.
Losing James may seem like a big blow for the Lakers. However, the future Hall of Famer's departure from Los Angeles has been expected for months, and now the Lakers can move on and begin truly building the team around the face of the franchise, Luka Doncic.
Replacing LeBron will be no easy task, but if Los Angeles is serious about building around Doncic, President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka should explore a trade for one of Luka's former teammates.
Lakers could trade for P.J. Washington to replace LeBron James
Obviously, P.J. Washington isn't a better basketball player than James and would be a downgrade on the wing. However, what Washington brings to the table is solid three-point shooting, defensive versatility, and experience playing with Doncic.
Washington is under contract with the Dallas Mavericks for a few more seasons, but with Masai Ujiri taking over as President of Basketball Operations, he could look to retool the roster around Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving.
Trading Washington could emerge as a possibility, and the Lakers make sense as a landing spot. Washington had a ton of success playing with Doncic in their short time together in Dallas, especially during the Mavericks' run to the Finals in 2024.
Though Washington did struggle a bit from behind the arc this past season, the 27-year-old is usually a nice floor stretcher, and his ability to guard four positions on the court at any time makes him a valuable defensive chess piece.
Los Angeles could trade for Washington and immediately insert him into the starting lineup next to Doncic. If the team is also able to retain Rui Hachimura in free agency, a wing duo of Washington and Hachimura would provide the perfect blend of shooting and high-level perimeter defense.
Seeing James walk does hurt the Lakers, but the franchise now has the financial flexibility to construct this roster in a way that fits Doncic. Acquiring Washington in a deal with Dallas would be a nice first step towards replacing LeBron and appeasing Doncic, who is reportedly keeping his options open if the Lakers fail to deliver on their promises.
- DHARYA SHARMA
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