Inside the LeBron-Lakers Rift: How Tension Behind the Scenes Nearly Sparked a Blockbuster Move
When the Los Angeles Lakers opted not to offer LeBron James a contract extension during the 2025 offseason, it raised more than a few eyebrows across the league. Whispers of trade talks began to surface-yes, even involving LeBron James.
At the time, most fans and analysts waved those rumors off as noise. But now, with new reporting shedding light on the situation, it turns out those murmurs weren’t as far-fetched as they seemed.
Behind the glitz and glamour of the Lakers brand, the organization has been navigating some serious internal tension. The Buss family, who’ve steered the franchise since 1979, has always been synonymous with Lakers basketball.
Jeanie Buss, now the face of that legacy, has played a pivotal role in keeping the Lakers relevant in the modern NBA. She was instrumental in bringing LeBron to L.A. in the first place-a move that not only reignited the franchise but also delivered a championship in 2020.
But fast forward to today, and that once-strong relationship between Jeanie and LeBron appears to have frayed. According to recent reporting, things began to shift following a series of high-stakes roster decisions-some that paid off, and others that didn’t.
LeBron’s influence on the Lakers’ personnel moves has been well-documented. His presence was a key factor in acquiring Anthony Davis, a move that helped secure that 2020 title.
That trade was a slam dunk-no one in the organization would argue otherwise. But not every decision has aged as well.
The 2021 trade for Russell Westbrook stands out as a turning point. The Lakers envisioned a new Big Three-James, Davis, and Westbrook-capable of dominating the West.
Instead, the team struggled to find chemistry, and the season ended without a playoff berth. Internally, the fallout from that move hit hard.
Now we’re learning just how deep those frustrations ran. In the aftermath of the Westbrook experiment, ESPN’s Baxter Holmes reported that Jeanie Buss privately considered not extending LeBron’s contract-and even floated the idea of trading him.
One of the teams mentioned? The Lakers’ hallway neighbors, the Clippers.
That kind of move would’ve sent shockwaves through the NBA and turned the city of Los Angeles upside down.
Ultimately, Jeanie didn’t pull the trigger. But the idea lingered, and by 2024, those thoughts reportedly resurfaced.
Still, she held back once again. Why?
Because the stakes were too high. The optics of letting LeBron walk-or worse, trading him-could’ve been a public relations nightmare.
Then came the 2024 NBA Draft, where the Lakers selected Bronny James with the 55th overall pick. From Jeanie’s perspective, that was a gesture of goodwill toward LeBron. But according to the report, she felt that appreciation wasn’t fully reciprocated.
Shortly after, the Lakers signed LeBron to a new two-year, $104 million deal that included a no-trade clause-effectively putting the ball in LeBron’s court. From that moment on, any decision about his future would be his to make.
So here we are. LeBron remains on the roster.
The trade talk has cooled, but the underlying tension hasn’t disappeared. And with a player option looming this offseason, the basketball world is watching closely.
Will LeBron choose to stay the course in L.A., or will the cracks in his relationship with the front office push him toward a new chapter?
One thing’s certain: LeBron James has always been calculated in how he handles his career. If there’s any lingering resentment, we may not hear it in a press conference-but we could see it in his next move.