The initial week of NBA free agency has been largely dominated by discussions surrounding a player who isn`t even a free agent.
LeBron James not only isn`t a free agent, but he specifically chose not to become one.
“We understand the complexity of balancing immediate success with future planning. We aim to evaluate what is in LeBron`s best interest at this point in his life and career,” stated Rich Paul, CEO of Klutch Sports, to Shams Charania of ESPN.
So, what might be next for James and the Los Angeles Lakers this summer? We`ll delve into the latest developments concerning L.A., alongside other news and updates from around the league following the first few days of free agency.
What`s the current situation with LeBron and the Lakers?
After prioritizing Jake LaRavia in free agency – sources told ESPN there was a minor bidding competition for the young backup forward among several teams – the Lakers were left with approximately $8 million from their midlevel exception and saw center options like Brook Lopez and Clint Capela sign elsewhere.
Sources indicated that teams possessing available centers maintained high price demands when the Lakers inquired, recalling the valuation the Lakers had previously set for Mark Williams (in the February trade that was rescinded). To refresh your memory, that package included:
- A young player (2024 first-round pick Dalton Knecht)
- L.A.`s unprotected first-round pick in 2031
- L.A.`s unprotected pick swap in 2030
That initial offer underscored the Lakers` urgency to acquire a center to complement Luka Doncic. Five months later, the Lakers still found themselves in need of one. This changed on Wednesday when the Lakers agreed to sign Deandre Ayton, who became available after his somewhat unexpected buyout from the Portland Trail Blazers was finalized.
Ayton is certainly not a flawless solution. His waiver from Portland while on a max contract points to issues. However, the 2018 No. 1 overall pick possesses talent and is arguably the second-best center available on the market this summer after Myles Turner. Sources suggested Ayton could be a positive addition for the Lakers, representing at least a significant upgrade over last year`s primary center, Jaxson Hayes, whom the Lakers reportedly agreed to bring back as Ayton`s backup on Thursday evening.
Despite these roster moves, the focus will remain on waiting for the next indication of James` perspective – something that hasn`t become publicly clearer since Paul`s ambiguous statement to ESPN`s Shams Charania.
The entire scenario appears, on the surface, to be a strange series of passive-aggressive actions. James could have become a free agent by opting out of the final year of his contract, which, as one executive noted, would have genuinely made the situation chaotic.
Instead, James chose to secure his salary and, perhaps more importantly, retain his no-trade clause. This action seemed to suggest he intended to play his eighth season in a Lakers uniform.
However, Paul`s statement left room for interpretation. Since then, there has been no public comment – not from James, not from Paul, and not from anyone within the Lakers organization, including general manager Rob Pelinka, coach JJ Redick, governor Jeanie Buss, or Mark Walter, who recently invested billions to become the team`s new owner.
Even the Lakers` lack of a formal announcement regarding picking up James` option sent its own nonverbal message, particularly considering James` status as one of the all-time greats.
So, where does this situation go from here?
It`s a major topic of discussion throughout the league. While a trade is not entirely impossible – nothing truly is in the NBA after the Doncic trade – it seems unlikely given James` large salary and his no-trade clause.
Sources reported that a few intrigued teams made inquiries, simply to gauge the seriousness of the situation. For now, there has been no substantial action. However, the situation is definitely being monitored.
The concept of buying out James` contract – even if he were to return a portion of his salary – also lacks logical sense. This is not comparable to the situation the Milwaukee Bucks faced with Damian Lillard, a future Hall of Famer sidelined by a torn left Achilles.
This involves a player who was named to the All-NBA second team last season, contributing to the Western Conference`s No. 3 seed, even with a version of Doncic that wasn`t at 100%. What benefit would the Lakers gain by simply allowing James to leave?
In a league very familiar with unusual circumstances, few recent ones rival this situation. But until James or the Lakers definitively rule out the possibility of him playing elsewhere next season, speculation is bound to continue.
How much improvement did Denver achieve?
It has been a productive week for the Nuggets and their new executive team, led by Ben Tenzer and Jon Wallace.
The Nuggets completed one of the summer`s more significant deals – trading Michael Porter Jr. and their unprotected first-round pick in 2032 to the Brooklyn Nets for Cam Johnson. Additionally, they traded Dario Saric for Jonas Valanciunas and signed Tim Hardaway Jr. and former Nugget Bruce Brown to enhance the team`s bench depth.
The trade involving Porter and Johnson reduced Denver`s payroll by $34 million over the next two seasons and moved the Nuggets out of the luxury tax this season, where they were initially projected to be in the punitive repeater tier. This represents their most active offseason since 2022, the summer before they won the championship, when they acquired Kentavious Caldwell-Pope via trade and initially signed Brown.
“That was a highly valued asset they parted with,” one general manager commented to ESPN regarding Denver`s 2032 pick. “Teams were watching to see if they would actually use it.”
“I understand Cam Johnson has some previous health issues, but given Porter`s history of back and knee problems, this move makes sense to me,” said one league executive. “I believe Cam and Jokic will connect well on the court. They both approach the game similarly.”
A substantial amount of veteran talent has been brought in to bolster the bench, a need that former coach Michael Malone consistently emphasized for years, only for former Nuggets GM Calvin Booth to encourage playing the team`s young draft picks instead.
“They have addressed shooting. Jonas is suitable as a backup, THJ is great as a backup, Bruce is a good project for reclamation,” one scout observed. “Calvin got overly clever and doubled down on it. They didn`t require more than that. It`s simply about assisting Jokic.”
But are the Nuggets significantly closer to winning another championship? Opinions varied widely despite Denver seemingly addressing their most prominent weaknesses. As a rival GM put it, “There is only one individual who needs to be impressed with their offseason. That`s Jokic. Sometimes the most effective trades you make are those that energize your superstar. If Jokic is motivated by these moves, then it was a successful summer.”
One potential complication for Denver`s plans is the possibility of Valanciunas returning to Europe next season, following a report from European basketball site BasketNews stating he is considering joining Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos.
Several steps would need to occur first: Denver would likely need to waive him and presumably buy out his $10 million contract. The NBA would then need to grant Valanciunas a letter of clearance.
Such a move is not unprecedented. For example, last year, Sasha Vezenkov agreed to a buyout with the Toronto Raptors to return to Europe. However, unlike Vezenkov – who was a minor player for a team that finished in the lottery – Valanciunas was just acquired, ostensibly to fill a crucial need for a team contending for a championship. Consequently, it is far from certain that the Nuggets would agree to facilitate this move.
Following injuries and offseason activity, what is the Eastern Conference landscape now?
At the beginning of the playoffs, the Boston Celtics were considered the clear favorites to return to the NBA Finals. Subsequently, by the start of Game 7 of those Finals, the Indiana Pacers not only had a chance to win their first title but were already viewed as the conference favorites for the next season after an exciting run through the East playoffs.
Achilles tears sustained by two Olympic gold medalists – Celtics forward Jayson Tatum and Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton – have created considerable uncertainty in the East. As one assistant coach remarked, “It`s as chaotic as it`s ever been – again.”
With so much unpredictability in the conference, we conducted a quick survey of eight scouts and executives to gauge their perspectives on the current situation.
What is evident is that the East is perceived as having three distinct tiers: The Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks occupy the top tier; the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic are in the next tier; and a mixed group follows thereafter.
The fact that Philadelphia received three votes serves as a reminder that if the 76ers can assemble their full team on the court, they potentially possess the highest ceiling of any team in the East. However, the likelihood of reaching that potential is diminished by the injury histories of Joel Embiid and Paul George, coupled with the overall challenging 2024-25 season Philadelphia experienced. Boston, Indiana, and the Miami Heat – a trio that collectively appeared in seven of the last eight conference finals – received zero votes for a top-four finish.
“One of the lessons learned after working in this league for a while is how fragile everything is, even for the top teams with superstar players who appear invincible,” noted one East GM.
“The past few months have really reinforced that lesson.”
The middle tier of players has benefited significantly
As the 2025 free agency period has unfolded, there has been criticism – notably from Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green – suggesting that the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is negatively impacting players and that the league is benefiting from this.
“Before the deal was even finalized, [I said] this is absurd,” Green stated on his podcast earlier in the week. “It will ultimately harm the players. Nobody wanted to listen, and everyone acted as if the [National Basketball Players Association] was securing a great deal… Every year, the financial pool grows larger, the business thrives more, and the players get further disadvantaged. That`s just how this industry operates.”
However, what is undeniably true is that in an offseason where only the Brooklyn Nets initially had significant cap space – before the Bucks made moves to acquire Myles Turner – a substantial number of players in the so-called `middle class` have secured lucrative contracts.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dennis Schroder, Dorian Finney-Smith, Caris LeVert, Duncan Robinson, Luke Kornet, and Luke Kennard all changed teams with deals valued at eight figures annually. Several other players – including Brook Lopez, Clint Capela, Kevon Looney, Ty Jerome, Ayton, LaRavia, Guerschon Yabusele, and Tyus Jones – signed for at least the taxpayer`s midlevel exception of $5.7 million. Numerous others – including Naz Reid, Santi Aldama, Sam Merrill, Davion Mitchell, Tre Jones, Tre Mann, and Jaylin Williams – signed considerable midrange contracts to remain with their current teams.
Under the new CBA, there has been a common concern that lower-tier players would be marginalized. Instead, this summer has demonstrated that even in a year with limited cap space, these players are faring quite well.
“The middle class is definitely thriving,” one executive commented.
The CBA`s second apron is achieving its intended effect
The new CBA, particularly the introduction of the restrictive second apron, has significantly influenced team roster construction. Just this offseason, the Phoenix Suns and Celtics successfully moved below the second apron, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are currently the only team expected to exceed it by the end of the 2025-26 season.
Historical data, however, suggests that teams rarely operate consistently within that high-spending bracket.
Since the beginning of the 2013-14 season, when new penalties for repeater tax teams were implemented, 37 teams have finished a season far enough above the salary cap to qualify for spending into the second apron (approximately 134% of the cap).
During the first six years of that period – leading up to the 2019-20 season impacted by COVID-19 – there were 14 such teams, with never more than three in any single season. However, since the league concluded its season in the Orlando bubble, 23 teams have operated above that threshold, including 17 within the three-year span from 2021-22 through 2023-24 alone. The primary factor driving this increase was the salary cap flattening over several years due to the pandemic`s aftermath.
Last year, the league returned to having only three teams over the second apron: Minnesota, Phoenix, and Boston. As the salary cap begins to rise more consistently again, the increased financial flexibility for middle-tier teams operating lower in the salary structure will start playing a more significant role than it has in the past couple of years, which saw the market constrained by minimal cap space.
“This CBA is excellent for the NBA,” one executive stated, “because it emphasizes effective management and leadership. Without those, you`ll quickly find yourself with a struggling team.”