After James made recruitment pitches in the past, most recently with Klay Thompson in their failed pursuit last offseason, he’s no longer keen on doing that anymore for the Lakers.
That was abundantly clear when he made his clear stance on the Lakers’ pitch to have Dončić’s commitment to the organization beyond next season.
“No, that ain’t my job,” James told ESPN. “I think … I don’t think, I know, Luka knows how I feel about him. And ultimately, that trade happened for the future. That’s not for me. Luka has to decide what he has to do with his future. He’s [26] years old, I’m 40, so he can’t be basing his career off me. That’s just real.
“But I hope, obviously, [he stays long term]. Laker fans [expletive] love him here. L.A. has accepted him. We love him as a teammate, as a brother. But ultimately, he’s got to make a decision for himself. [Expletive], I ain’t going to be around much longer.”
Dončić is extension-eligible this summer. If he doesn’t sign an extension, he can become an unrestricted free agent after next season if he doesn’t pick up his $49 million player option for the 2026-27 season.
