SHAMS: LeBron James opting into his $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season

[ScrantonBulls]

Have league pass, watched him far more than you did. Keep enjoying those 2012 highlights, he’s been shockingly bad defensively for most of the season hence another curb stomping despite HCA and a top 5 player as a teammate

LeBron ranked 7th in VORP, 8th in BPM during the regular season. During the playoffs he ranked 3rd in BPM, because big time players perform when the lights are brightest. Sorry to burst your narrative, son.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2025_advanced.html#advanced_stats::vorp

This is going to hurt you so I hope you’re sitting down but:

Defensive Rating:

– StatMuse: LeBron posted a 113.6 defensive rating over the season

– Team context: for the Lakers, Anthony Davis led at 108.7, Jaxson Hayes was at 112.3, with LeBron’s 114.7 coming in third in team regular-season rankings

So LeBron is in the league-average to slightly below-average range, rather than elite defensive territory.

On‑Off Impact

– Lakers defensive rating was 113 without him vs. 120 with him on


Yikes

Just lol at using defensive rating. BPM and VORP show he was a top 10 player during the season and in the postseason. You tried claiming he wasn't top 10 or top 15 because of defense. Those stats account for defense. Truth hurts, champ.

[RoyceDa59]

The entire LeBron Lakers experiment has been incredible underwhelming and frustrating as a fan. Just felt forced the whole time, I still don’t see him as a Laker.

Would have way rather seen him with a good franchise with competent management for the past decade, actually competing for championships.

I hope he spends his last two couple trying to win.

[ball_takes23]

Lebron should go full-Durant at this point. Force the lakers to trade him to Okc. Lebron for iHart, Dort and a first works financially.

Okc rolls out next year:
Shai
Caruso
JDub
Lebron
Chet


Insta-championship

He can then repeat until he has more championship than bill russell!

This would give lakers two championship quality starters as well. And im not sure there’s a better off guard defender to help Luka than Dort. So works well for both teams.

This would be an absolute dream scenario for the Lakers. OKCs defense would fall off a cliff after Chet gets hurt again and Luka/Dort/Reaves/Rui/Hartenstein would be the best starting lineup in the league

They still have Jaylin Williams (newly signed) and now Thomas Sorber the best center drafted this year so they will be just fine bro.

it wouldnt just be their interior defense, their perimeter defense would also fall off a cliff. Lebron is not chasing guys around screens the same way Dort is, he's not sprinting from underneath the basket to chase someone off the 3 pt line, his general lack of effort would mess up all of their defensive rotations

Lebron should go full-Durant at this point. Force the lakers to trade him to Okc. Lebron for iHart, Dort and a first works financially.

Okc rolls out next year:
Shai
Caruso
JDub
Lebron
Chet


Insta-championship

He can then repeat until he has more championship than bill russell!

This would give lakers two championship quality starters as well. And im not sure there’s a better off guard defender to help Luka than Dort. So works well for both teams.

OKC just won, they're already an insta-champ lol

That’s why I said go full-Durant like Durant did going to the champ GSW. Maybe Okc can break the max league win total?

not only would they not break the total, they would win less games than they did last year

[HeatIn5]

The entire LeBron Lakers experiment has been incredible underwhelming and frustrating as a fan.

He literally won a championship….

[jbk1234]

LeBron to CLE for Garland?

Cleveland would need to give more to match salaries.

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And they can't aggregate.

[jbk1234]

Cavs get : LeBron James + Kyle Anderson

Miami get: Darius Garland

Lakers get: Andrew Wiggins + Deandre Hunter + CLE 1st lotto protected

Cleveland is not sending out Garland and a 1st. Lebron is not worth that.

He was azz in the playoffs tbh

He was playing on one foot. He was fine before he aggravated the injury.

[jbk1234]

It's always funny to me when fans want players to take paycuts. I wonder how many of those fans would take pay cuts from their current salary if others wanted them to.

I don't think LBJ should've opted out for the Lakers sake, I think LBJ should've opted out because no team can contend with him making $53M at 41.

Is LBJ more valuable to the Thunder than Hartenstein and Caruso at this stage in his career?

Is he more valuable than Miles Turner and Nesmith to the Pacers?

Are the Wolves trading McDaniels and Conley for him? Would they be better for it?

Maybe KAT and filler, but do the Lakers want that?

That's before you get the apron restricted teams.

[The_Ghost_of_JB]

This more likely means it will be his last season. He usually opts out and signs a 1 and 1 type deal

Lebron is not retiring without at least a 2 year farewell tour. I don't know why he is unsure about the roster either. He and Luka are still top 5-10 players in the NBA.

[SlimShady83]

Please Lebronny ask for a trade

[MagicMamba88]

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