The Los Angeles Lakers’ handling of LeBron James’ free agency reportedly played a major role in his decision to leave the franchise this offseason.
According to ESPN, James remains undecided on his next team, but the process mattered more than the money.
Sources close to James said he would have accepted less than the $52.6 million he earned last season if the Lakers had clearly explained how they planned to use the savings to improve the roster.
That conversation reportedly never happened, and James never met with the organization before deciding to move on.
One Lakers staff member admitted the team may not have done enough to recognize the sacrifices James made while taking on a reduced role alongside Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves.
“Honestly, I don’t know if we did enough to acknowledge the sacrifices he made in being willing to give the keys over to Luka and AR this year,” the staffer said.
“Of course he has a big ego and people can say what they want about that. But he’s also the No. 1 scorer in the history of basketball and he really tried to do what was best for the team to win.”
According to the report, James made his decision before the Lakers finalized their approach, ending his eight-year tenure with the franchise.
The move came despite James reportedly telling Rich Paul just weeks before free agency that he was “80 percent” sure he would return.
LeBron James Was ’80 Percent’ Sure He’d Stay With Lakers Until Handling Of Free Agency Led To Exit https://t.co/xQNeAkFGfZ
— RealGM (@RealGM) July 6, 2026
