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Lakers prepare backup plan for life after LeBron James, with one player emerging as key target
If Lebron James leaves, the Lakers could face a tight timeline to reshape its roster, prompting the front office to prepare contingency plans in advance.
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The Los Angeles Lakers have been swept out of the playoffs again. The attention has shifted to LeBron James’ future and his contract situation.
A latest report mentions that the franchise is already thinking about what basketball will look like in Los Angeles once he is gone.
What the report says about the Lakers’ plan
As reports suggest, the Lakers are already evaluating their options in the event that LeBron James decides to leave the franchise.
If the Lakers' #23 departs, the team would have limited time to adjust its plans, which is likely why the front office has begun preparing for all possible scenarios well in advance.
NBA Insider Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson reported that “Coincidentally, if James decides to exit, the Lakers, I'm told have quietly weighed the pros and cons of an incredibly volatile fallback option: a Southern California re-pairing of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.”
Also read: Insider's LeBron claim puts Lakers under pressure after ‘positive’ Luka Doncic talks
He points out that pairing Doncic and Irving would give the Lakers a high‑scoring backcourt, but it would also bring big questions about chemistry and stability.
Why the team needs to plan
The 41-year-old have rarely been direct about his retirement plans.
In a LA Times piece from former Lakers beat writer Jack Fitzpatrick, James said, “I don’t have an answer to that. Something I sit down with my family, my wife and my support group and kind of just talk through it and see what happens."
Fan and social‑media reaction
On Reddit’s r/Lakers, a user wrote, “They’re being smart by thinking about the post‑LeBron era, but trading young pieces for Kyrie feels risky.” Another on X posted, “If LeBron actually leaves or retires, the Lakers’ title window might slam shut unless Doncic‑and‑Kyrie is a real thing.”
For now, the story is framed as contingency planning, not a confirmed move, but the Lakers’ willingness to talk about life after LeBron signals that the organization sees the end of an era on the horizon.
The Lakers have no choice but to prepare for a roster without him, even if he decides to play one more season.
They could aim to replicate the power of the Doncic-Irving pairing when the two played together in Dallas, with Irving coming to Los Angeles. Both players made the 2024 NBA Finals with the Mavericks.
Irving tore his ACL in March of 2025, and therefore missed the whole 2025-26 season. He’s likely to be back for the 2026-27 run. That makes this a bit tricky, but it could be just what the Lakers need if James leaves.
