While LeBron James’ future with the Los Angeles Lakers remains uncertain, the franchise announced that Luka Doncic has signed a three-year, $165 million maximum contract extension. In addition, to provide reassurance to the team’s fans, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka shared information about James’ contract talks.
With Doncic’s new contract, the Lakers have secured the Slovenian star for three years, making him eligible for a projected five-year, $417 million deal in 2028. However, during the press conference, Pelinka was also asked about LeBron’s future.
The Lakers’ general manager reassured fans by mentioning that, so far, all interactions they’ve had with LeBron’s camp and his agent, Rich Paul, have been very positive and supportive.
“All of the interactions we’ve had with LeBron and his camp, Rich (Paul) in particular, have been positive and supportive,” Pelinka said. “Very professional and Rich has been great. The dialogue with him has been open and constant”.
LeBron’s future is controlled by him, considering that he has a no-trade clause in his contract, which allows him to decide whether or not he wants to be traded. Pelinka understands the situation, which is why the Lakers’ front office respects the decision of the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, although they would love for him to retire with the franchise.
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“In terms of LeBron’s career, I think the No. 1 thing we have to do there is respect he and his family’s decision in terms of how long he’s gonna play. I think that’s first and foremost, we want to respect his ability to come up with his timetable,” he continued. “I think that’s really important. But if he had a chance to retire as a Laker, that would be great”.
Rumors of a possible LeBron trade began after James opted into his $52.6 million salary for the 2025-26 season. His agent explained in early July that they wanted to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career, noting that the Lakers are building for the future while James aims to win one more championship.
However, Paul clarified the “King’s” situation a few days ago on TylilShow Live. “The man has a no-trade clause. End of story. He has a no-trade clause. It’s up to him. He has a no-trade clause,” Paul explained. “So in the event when a player has a no-trade clause and a team wants to trade that player, that player can say no. That’s in his contract”.
