The Lakers will not renew their contract with James, and the Cavaliers are only interested in him as he buys out and don t want to pay too much

On July 12, according to reports from ESPN reporters Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst, the Lakers plan to part ways with James in the spring of 2026, and the Lakers have made it clear that they will not provide James with a new contract. At present, the Lakers management is only concerned about Doncic's contract renewal and is expected to make a decision after September. This can explain why the team has not officially announced after James has implemented the player option, and the Lakers are going to give up on him.

James played for the Lakers for 7 seasons, helping the team win a championship in 2020, and it is also the 17th championship in the history of the Lakers. It is the most glorious moment after Kobe. However, the Lakers' current approach to heroes like James is a bit disrespectful. According to the two reporters, James may not finish his 8th season with the Lakers and is expected to break up with the Lakers in the spring of 2026. When James and the Lakers are about to break up, where James will go has become a hot topic.

Many people speculate that James will probably go back to the Cavaliers through the trade, but the Cavaliers have made it clear that they have no idea to trade James back for the time being. However, according to US media reports, the Cleveland Cavaliers are very interested in James after the buyout. Although James is about to reach the age of 41, he is still selected as the NBA's All-Second Team, ranking sixth in the MVP voting, and is still at the elite level. If James is bought out by the Lakers, then James can join any team and just need to give a contract. Maybe the Cavaliers don't want to pay too much money to get James, so they won't make a deal.

Last season, James averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game, with a shooting percentage of up to 51.3%, which is already better than many young players. The Cavaliers just lack excellent small forwards, and James's joining can take the team a step further.