Did the Los Angeles Lakers make a mistake by not trading LeBron James during the 2025-26 NBA season? At least one person seems to think so.
Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report recently named failing to trade James as the Lakers’ biggest regret of the season.
Did the Lakers Make a Mistake by Not Trading LeBron James?
The rationale is pretty simple. James will be an unrestricted free agent over the offseason, and if he signs elsewhere in free agency, the Lakers will have lost him for nothing. If they had traded him prior to the deadline in February, they could have recouped at least some value for the fantastic forward.
“This was clearly a gap year for Los Angeles, something the team signaled when it didn’t reach an extension agreement with LeBron James and later solidified by not trading any future assets at the deadline,” Hughes wrote.
“Knowing the plan all along was to use cap space and a larger trove of picks to upgrade the roster around Luka Dončić this offseason, what was the point of keeping James around? Now, he can walk away in unrestricted free agency. Though it’s hard to know what James might have gotten the Lakers in a trade, ‘more than nothing’ seems reasonable.”
Of course, if James decides to re-sign with the Lakers in free agency, the idea that the Lakers should have traded him for something as opposed to losing him for nothing becomes moot.
Plus, with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves both sidelined for the start of postseason play, James is the Lakers’ best (and probably only) shot of advancing past the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs. If James is able to turn back the clock, perhaps he’ll be able to keep the Lakers alive long enough for some reinforcements to return. In that scenario, one would probably feel pretty silly for suggesting that the Lakers should have moved on from one of the best players to ever touch a basketball.
LeBron James Will Have Major Decisions to Make Over the Offseason
At this point in time, James has been largely non-committal about his future in the league, which is understandable for a guy in the midst of his 23rd season.
“I want to live,” James said when asked about his plans for the future at NBA All-Star Weekend in February. “When I know, you guys will know. I don’t know. I have no idea. I just want to live, that’s all.”
James will have no shortage of options over the offseason. The first decision he has to make is if he wants to continue playing, or if he wants to hang up his signature Nikes and call it a career. If he decides that he wants to continue to lace them up, then he’ll have to decide where he wants to continue his career.
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors have both been floated as potential landing spots. Plus, at least one NBA insider seems to think that James will remain with the Lakers.
While no one knows exactly what James will decide to do, one thing is for certain: All eyes will be on The King over the offseason.
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