Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Lakers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The bond LeBron James has with the Lakers is unlike any other he has with his former teams. LeBron has been with the Lakers for eight years, making this his longest individual stint with any franchise.
During that time, he’s won a title, reached two Western Conference Finals and been
an All-NBA player. But with Luka Dončić now the clear franchise player and Austin Reaves set to be the team’s No. 2, that puts LeBron in a strange spot of no longer being LA’s top priority.
Now that he’s played an NBA record 23 seasons, he is an unrestricted free agent and has to decide if he wants to play a 24th and, if so, will it be with the Lakers?
So, for our SB Nation Reacts survey this week, we ask, do Lakers fans want LeBron back next season?
The case for retaining LeBron is easy to make. This season, he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game. He did that while playing in 60 contests, producing regardless of whether he was the top option or playing behind Dončić and Reaves.
Not only was he an All-Star and an All-NBA-caliber player, but in the postseason, he was the reason the Lakers beat the Rockets despite Luka being out and Reaves returning only for the last two games of the series.
LeBron was far and away the best player in that Lakers-Rockets series, and that includes Reaves and Alper Sengun, who is considered one of the best young bigs in the NBA.
This is clear proof that LeBron can still play at the highest level, and even if he is on a decline, the list of players above him is small, and the cost of a player of LeBron’s caliber is not cheap.
When looking at all this, letting a player like LeBron walk seems foolish. In doing so, the Lakers won’t get better, and whatever money they save on LeBron, they won’t be able to replace him with better players.
The counterargument, however, is that it’s time to move on.
This is now Luka’s team. Reaves is his backcourt partner, and while bringing back LeBron might work next year, it doesn’t make sense to commit big money to your third offensive option, who is also the oldest player in the NBA.
It’s better for the Lakers to turn the page on the LeBron era and leave him now that he’s still a productive player than to be in a situation where you are paying him while he begins a steep decline.
Also, the Lakers have a ton of cap space, roster spots and multiple first round draft picks they can trade to make their team better. This is an opportunity for them to be aggressive and improve their roster. Tying themselves up into a big three that went 1-7 against the Spurs and Thunder in the regular season is a tough sell as well.
But what do you think? Should the Lakers bring back LeBron and build around this core or is it time to move on and truly begin a new era of Lakers basketball?
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
