Windhorst on LeBron James' NBA Future: 'Don't Know If It's Gonna Be for the Lakers'

LeBron James' future with the Los Angeles Lakers might once again become a major storyline.

On the newest episode of his Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN's Brian Windhorst (via HoopsHype) said he expects James to suit up for the 2024-25 NBA season, "but I don't know if it's gonna be for the Lakers."

Windhorst added LeBron will "probably" stay in L.A., though referenced a $51.4 million player option that allows the 19-time All-Star to become a free agent.

The Lakers are following the same trajectory James' past teams have.

The need to constantly assemble a ready-made contender around the 39-year-old led the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers to go from NBA champions to a shell of their old selves within a few seasons. Sooner or later, a general manager hits a wall and runs out of salary cap space and trade assets.

That's the predicament in which Los Angeles finds itself.

The Lakers are 20-21 and 10th in the Western Conference. Even if they qualify for the playoffs, it's difficult seeing them make another expected run like last year's trip to the conference finals.

L.A. is 19th in net rating (minus-1.5), per NBA.com, despite James and Anthony Davis not only performing at high levels but also staying healthy. They've combined to miss just six games. That the Lakers continue to be so middling as their two best players deliver on a nightly basis is the biggest red flag.

It's not as though the their outlook was that much better when James agreed to an extension that potentially keeps him on the West Coast through 2025. Now, however, he might finally look around and seriously question the organization's short-term fortunes.

Granted, the surefire Hall of Famer's priorities have evolved a bit since he left Miami and Cleveland for greener pastures. Going to the Lakers was both a legacy play and a way for him to extend his reach off the court. His priorities have evolved a bit.

Look no further than the fact the Lakers lost in the first round of the playoffs in 2021, the year after they won their title. The following season, they missed the postseason altogether. That didn't stop James from signing that multiyear extension.

Contrast that with him making the NBA Finals with the Heat in 2014 and Cavaliers in 2018, and neither being enough to convince him to stick around.

Unless the Lakers hit absolute rock bottom and don't even qualify for the play-in tournament, it's tough to envision James leaving Los Angeles—and all of the benefits he gets from playing there—behind.