LeBron James not returning to Lakers next season

Per usual, the NBA will have its brightest stars playing on Christmas Day. The NBA Finals rematch will start the day at 12 p.m. ET and will be followed by Heat-Celtics, 76ers-Lakers, Thunder-Timberwolves and Nuggets-Warriors. Aside from the team and player rivalries that will add to the drama, this will also be LeBron James’ return to Los Angeles after spending the last eight seasons as a Laker.

While Tyrese Maxey will continue to take on a prominent playmaking role for the 76ers, LeBron’s arrival gives the team another option to trust in that regard. “He is an offense creator,” Nurse said, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia. “He is certainly a guy that will bring the ball up the floor and try to create for himself and others. He is really good for others.” After averaging at least eight assists each of the prior two seasons, James’ average dipped slightly to 7.2 per game in 2025-26. With the offensive weapons in Philadelphia’s starting lineup, he could experience an increase in that category next season, which should help his fantasy value.

The report comes after LeBron James’ decision to sign with the 76ers as a free agent. With Caldwell-Pope potentially heading to Philadelphia after being bought out of Memphis, he’d team up with James, with whom he won an NBA championship back in 2020. The 13-year veteran averaged 8.4 points and shot just 31.6 percent from beyond the arc last season in Memphis.

The LeBron James free agency saga has reached its conclusion, with the future Hall of Fame forward reportedly picking Philadelphia as his new home. Despite being 41 years old, James still has plenty left in the tank, as evidenced by his 2025-26 season with the Lakers. Appearing in 60 games, he averaged 20.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.3 three-pointers while shooting 51.5 percent from the field and 73.7 percent from the foul line. While James’ streak of All-NBA selections ended due to his not appearing in 65 games, the production remained good enough for him to offer reliable fantasy value. While his fantasy ceiling takes a hit with the move to Philadelphia, LeBron’s floor should be fine, with the occasional spike when factoring in Joel Embiid’s injury history.

Vogel was last an NBA head coach in 2023 with the Suns, who fired him after just one season. His previous stop is perhaps more relevant here as he coached the Lakers and won a championship with LeBron James in 2020. With James reportedly considering joining the Warriors in free agency this offseason, Vogel joining Golden State’s coaching staff is notable, though nothing is guaranteed. Vogel has also coached the Magic and the Pacers.

Westbrook, 37, is an obvious fit for the Heat in the wake of the trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo. He still has something left in the tank and would come cheap, which is a necessity for Miami at this point. Of course, Westbrook is out of the picture if LeBron decides to join Giannis in Miami. James is yet to make a decision in free agency and is reportedly also considering Cleveland, Golden State and Philadelphia.

One day removed from informing the Lakers of his decision to move on, James has received interest from multiple teams in free agency. Golden State, Cleveland and Miami have been mentioned in various reports, and now Philadelphia has reportedly thrown its hat into the ring. The 76ers made a major move on Wednesday, acquiring Jaylen Brown from the Celtics for Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks. On paper, Philadelphia’s current roster has the look of a contender in the East, even without James. Adding LeBron to the mix would round out their starting lineup, pushing Dominick Barlow to the bench after he started for most of the 2025-26 campaign.

With Reaves back in the fold, the Lakers have he and Luka Dončić locked in as franchise cornerstones for the foreseeable future. The Lakers will have a busy offseason as they navigate LeBron James’ potential return and decide what moves to make to get the team in a more competitive position.

James, who turns 42 in December, is an unrestricted free agent. And for the first time in his NBA career, he is not viewed as the priority signing going into free agency. The Lakers have prioritized building around Luka Dončić, including a desire to re-sign free-agent guard Austin Reaves. Given what Reaves’ price tag is expected to be, LeBron may have to take a significant pay cut to return to the Lakers. Agent Rich Paul said during a media appearance on Friday that “10-12 teams” have reached out to him regarding James, so he’ll have options in free agency. While James can still be a highly effective option for fantasy managers, his age has lowered the ceiling for 2026-27.

The Lakers have long viewed re-signing Reaves as a priority this offseason, and the expectation was that the cost of doing business would be high. According to The Athletic, the Nets are willing to offer the shooting guard the highest deal they can, which comes to about $178.5 million over four years. Unlike other teams, the Lakers can offer Reaves a fifth year, but the question is how much they’re willing to pay. And with other questions lingering, such as LeBron James’ future and how they’ll fill out the rest of the roster around Luka Dončić, the Lakers could find themselves in a challenging spot regarding Reaves’ deal. As for the Nets, adding Reaves would give them an undisputed building block on the perimeter. And with none of the guards selected in the first round of last summer’s draft (Egor Dëmin, Nolan Traoré and Ben Saraf) truly standing out, this is an area of need for the rebuilding franchise.