While there’s some talent at positions of need in restricted free agency, the options aren’t considered particularly logical according to league sources. The expectation around the league is that the Utah Jazz will match any offer sheet Walker Kessler receives, and executives hold a similar view regarding Detroit and Jalen Duren. Another restricted free agent center at least worth monitoring is Mark Williams in Phoenix (yeah, the guy the Lakers traded for before rescinding the deal). But it’s only logical to wonder why the Suns would give up assets to acquire Williams only to let him walk a season later. Wings Tari Eason and Peyton Watson both have injury and shooting concerns while also being held in high esteem by their current employers. Prying players loose in restricted free agency is one of the biggest gambles in the NBA, and generally speaking, it’s regarded as a poor Plan A for teams trying to make moves.

The Lakers could try to work trades for any of the restricted free agents they covet, but the track record of good restricted free agents being allowed to leave for free is almost nonexistent.

It’s why trading into the Lakers’ space is the easiest plan for the team to first try to execute. The penalties associated with the first and second aprons could put the Lakers in a good position to acquire talent without having to make major withdrawals from their limited draft capital.

All of this is to say that if the Lakers want to operate with the most possible cap space, James moves back a little in the line. It’s not, though, the sole option the Lakers have access to.

The team could be aggressive in trades up until free agency begins on June 30, and if they’re able to make moves that involve sending out matching salaries, league sources said there’s a pathway for the Lakers to actually operate as an over-the-cap team. If they do so, having James’ Bird rights would become particularly valuable and could give the team easier pathways to paying James closer to his worth.

If the Lakers, though, are moving ahead with cap space as a priority, it could be difficult for the team to both make major changes and retain its most important free agents at market deals. Reaves’ meager cap hold makes his salary next year largely unimportant when it comes to pathways for roster improvement — something that doesn’t apply to James and his nearly $60 million salary-cap hold.

The belief is that Rui Hachimura and Jaxson Hayes are players the Lakers would prioritize bringing back as they try to best fit a roster around Dončić. And each piece of the puzzle the Lakers feel they need to add into their cap space takes up a slice that could go to James.

Rob Pelinka, the Lakers’ president of basketball operations and general manager, said that the organization wanted to give James the space and time necessary to figure out whatever he plans to do next. Team sources have said that stance has not changed. James’ agent, Rich Paul, told Pat McAfee Friday that he hadn’t even discussed options for next season with James (though he mentioned interest from a third of the league should James decide to continue playing).

Most of those teams, just by looking at committed salaries, wouldn’t have the kind of cap space needed to make James an offer that matches his 2025-26 production. It means that if James plays next season, it sure seems like he’ll be doing it for a significantly lower number than the $52.6 million he made this past year.

If the Lakers are committed to trying to replicate Dončić’s best Dallas Mavericks rosters, it means the team will be looking to keep Reaves, the secondary ballhandler. It would mean trying to find a center who could play at the rim on both ends. It would mean upgraded shooting and athleticism on the wings.

James doesn’t fit neatly into any of those roles, mostly because he’s still way too good to be a role player. He’s his own thing, even at 41. And if the Lakers do decide to make changes that don’t include James, replacing his production — at least with a single player — will basically be impossible.

Sourcec: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7359073/2026/06/15/lebron-james-nba-free-agency-questions-lakers/