The initial week of NBA free agency has been significantly influenced by a player who isn`t even a free agent.
Not only is LeBron James not a free agent, he actively opted not to become one.
“We understand the complexity of aiming for victory now while building for the future. We need to assess what is optimal for LeBron at this phase of his life and career,” Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul stated.
So, what lies ahead for James and the Los Angeles Lakers this summer? We`ll delve into the latest developments surrounding L.A., alongside other key news and insights from the league as the first few days of free agency conclude.
Where Do LeBron and the Lakers Stand?
After prioritizing Jake LaRavia in free agency – multiple teams actually competed to sign the young backup forward, sources indicate – the Lakers were left with approximately $8 million from their midlevel exception. They also saw potential center targets like Brook Lopez and Clint Capela signing elsewhere.
Sources revealed that teams with available centers were demanding high prices from the Lakers when contacted, mindful of what L.A. had been willing to offer for Mark Williams in a February trade that was later rescinded. That offer 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
This demonstrated the Lakers` urgency to acquire a center to complement Luka Doncic. Five months later, the Lakers still lacked a center, until they reached an agreement to sign Deandre Ayton on Wednesday, following his somewhat unexpected buyout from the Portland Trail Blazers.
Ayton is not without flaws; his release from a max contract in Portland had reasons. However, the 2018 No. 1 overall pick possesses talent and is arguably the second-best center available this summer after Myles Turner. Sources suggest Ayton could be a positive addition for the Lakers, offering a notable improvement over last year`s primary center, Jaxson Hayes, whom the Lakers agreed to bring back as Ayton`s backup on Thursday evening.
Despite these roster moves, the focus remains on discerning James` perspective on the situation – something that hasn`t become clearer publicly since Paul`s ambiguous comments.
The entire scenario appears, on the surface, to be a perplexing series of passive-aggressive actions. James could have entered free agency by declining the final year of his contract, a move one executive noted would have genuinely created a chaotic situation.
Instead, James chose to secure his salary and, crucially, maintain his no-trade clause. This decision seemed to imply his intention to play his eighth season in a Lakers uniform.
Paul`s subsequent statement, however, left the situation open to interpretation. Since then, there has been public silence – from James, from Paul, and from anyone within the Lakers organization, including general manager Rob Pelinka, coach JJ Redick, governor Jeanie Buss, or Mark Walter, who recently paid billions to become the team`s owner.
Even the Lakers` lack of a formal announcement about James exercising his option, considering his status as one of the greatest players ever, sent its own unspoken message.
So, what happens next?
This is a major discussion point across the league. While a trade isn`t impossible – *nothing* is impossible after the Doncic trade – it remains unlikely due to James` large salary and his no-trade clause.
Sources mention a few teams made exploratory inquiries to gauge the situation`s seriousness. For now, no concrete action is being taken, but the situation is definitely being monitored.
The concept of buying out James` contract, even if he were to relinquish a portion of his salary, also lacks logical grounding. This isn`t akin to the Milwaukee Bucks` situation with Damian Lillard, a future Hall of Famer sidelined by a torn Achilles.
This involves a player who earned second-team All-NBA honors last season for the Western Conference`s third seed, despite playing with a less-than-100% version of Doncic. What benefit would the Lakers gain by simply allowing James to depart?
In a league accustomed to extremely unusual circumstances, few in recent memory rival this one. But until either James or the Lakers definitively rule out the possibility of him playing elsewhere next season, speculation is likely to persist.
How Much Did Denver Improve?
It`s been a busy period for the Nuggets and their new leadership team, headed by Ben Tenzer and Jon Wallace.
The Nuggets not only completed one of the summer`s larger transactions – trading Michael Porter Jr. and their unprotected 2032 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets for Cam Johnson – but they also acquired Jonas Valanciunas for Dario Saric and signed Tim Hardaway Jr. and former Nugget Bruce Brown to bolster their bench.
The Porter-Johnson exchange reduced Denver`s payroll by $34 million over the next two seasons, lifting them out of the luxury tax for the current season, where they were projected to be in the penal repeater tier. This marked their most active offseason since 2022, the summer prior to their championship win, when they traded for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and initially signed Brown.
“That was a valuable asset they gave up,” one general manager told ESPN regarding Denver`s 2032 pick. “Teams were watching to see if they would actually use it.”
“While Cam Johnson has a history of health concerns, Porter`s back and knee issues make this move understandable to me,” commented one league executive. “I anticipate Cam and Jokic will connect well on the court; they approach the game similarly.”
Significant veteran talent was added to strengthen the bench, a need former coach Michael Malone frequently highlighted, often being urged by former Nuggets GM Calvin Booth to instead feature the team`s young draft picks.
“They`ve addressed shooting. Jonas is a solid backup, THJ is great in a backup role, Bruce is a promising reclamation project,” one scout observed. “Calvin got overly clever and stuck with it. They didn`t require more than this. It`s primarily about supporting Jokic.”
However, are the Nuggets genuinely closer to another championship? Opinions varied despite Denver seemingly addressing its key weaknesses. As one rival GM put it, “Only one person needs to be impressed by their offseason. That`s Jokic. Sometimes the most effective trades are those that energize your superstar. If Jokic feels revitalized by these moves, then it was a successful summer.”
A potential complication to Denver`s plans is the possibility of Valanciunas returning to Europe next season, following a report from a European basketball site suggesting he might join Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos.
Several conditions would need to be met first: Denver would likely need to waive him, presumably buying out his $10 million contract. The NBA would then have to issue Valanciunas a letter of clearance.
Such a scenario is not entirely unprecedented. Last year, for example, Sasha Vezenkov reached a buyout agreement with the Toronto Raptors to play in Europe. However, unlike Vezenkov – a minor player for a lottery team – Valanciunas was recently acquired, presumably to fulfill a specific need for a team competing for a championship. Thus, it`s far from certain the Nuggets would consent to facilitate this move.
Eastern Conference Landscape After Injuries and Offseason Moves
At the beginning of the playoffs, the Boston Celtics were widely considered favorites to return to the NBA Finals. Then, by the start of Game 7 of those Finals, the Indiana Pacers were not only contenders for their first title but were already seen as frontrunners in the Eastern Conference for the next season after a compelling playoff run.
However, Achilles tears suffered by two Olympic gold medalists – Celtics forward Jayson Tatum and Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton – have significantly disrupted the Eastern Conference hierarchy. As one assistant coach lamented, “It`s the most unpredictable it`s ever been – again.”
Given the high degree of uncertainty in the conference, a rapid poll of eight scouts and executives was conducted to assess the current standings.
What is evident is that the East is perceived to have three distinct tiers: The Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks occupy the top tier; the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic follow in the second tier; and the rest of the conference constitutes a jumbled third tier.
The fact that Philadelphia received three votes serves as a reminder that if the 76ers can maintain health, they potentially possess the highest ceiling of any East team. However, the likelihood of reaching that peak is diminished by the injury histories of Joel Embiid and Paul George, and the overall challenging 2024-25 season Philadelphia experienced. Boston, Indiana, and the Miami Heat, a group that collectively appeared in seven of the last eight conference finals, received no votes for the top four.
“One learns in this league how precarious everything is, even for the top teams with seemingly invincible star players,” said one East GM.
“These past few months have really underscored that reality.”
The Middle Tier of Players Has Fared Exceptionally Well
As the 2025 free agency period has unfolded, criticism has emerged – notably from Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green – suggesting that the collective bargaining agreement negatively impacts players and disproportionately benefits the league.
“Before the deal was even finalized, [I stated] that this is absurd,” Green said on his podcast recently. “It will ultimately harm players. Nobody wanted to listen, and everyone acted as though the [National Basketball Players Association] was securing a fantastic deal. …
“Every year, the revenue increases, the business thrives, and the players get a worse deal. That`s just the nature of this business.”
What is undeniably true, however, is that in an offseason where only the Brooklyn Nets initially had significant cap space – before the Bucks cleared space for Myles Turner – many players categorized in the `middle class` have secured substantial contracts.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dennis Schroder, Dorian Finney-Smith, Caris LeVert, Duncan Robinson, Luke Kornet, and Luke Kennard all changed teams with deals worth eight figures annually. Several other players – including Brook Lopez, Clint Capela, Kevon Looney, Ty Jerome, Ayton, LaRavia, Guerschon Yabusele, and Tyus Jones – signed contracts worth 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 sizable mid-range extensions to remain with their current teams.
There has been a common concern under the new CBA that lower-tier players would be squeezed out. This summer, conversely, has demonstrated that even in a year lacking significant cap space, these players are navigating the market successfully.
“The middle class is definitely thriving,” one executive affirmed.
The CBA`s Second Apron Appears Effective
The Collective Bargaining Agreement, particularly the implementation of the restrictive second apron, has profoundly influenced roster construction. This offseason alone, the Phoenix Suns and Celtics maneuvered to avoid the second apron, and only the Cavaliers are currently projected to finish the 2025-26 season above it.
Historical data indicates that teams rarely operate at that financial level.
Since the beginning of the 2013-14 season, when new repeater tax penalties were introduced, 37 teams have concluded the season sufficiently above the salary cap to fall into the spending range associated with the second apron (approximately 134% of the cap).
Over the first six years of that period – leading up to the COVID-affected 2019-20 season – 14 teams were in this range, with no more than three in any single season. However, since the league completed 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. The primary factor behind this surge was the salary cap flattening over several years due to the pandemic`s aftermath.
Last year, the number of teams above the second apron decreased to three: Minnesota, Phoenix, and Boston. As the salary cap is expected to resume regular increases, the enhanced flexibility for middle-tier teams operating below the higher tax levels will likely play a more significant role than it has in the past few years when limited cap space constrained the market.
“This CBA is beneficial for the NBA,” one executive stated, “because it emphasizes sound management and leadership. Lacking those, a team will quickly find itself in a difficult position.”
