{"id":569039,"date":"2026-01-29T18:40:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T18:40:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/569039\/"},"modified":"2026-01-29T18:40:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T18:40:13","slug":"lebron-james-could-make-shocking-return-to-former-team-after-2025-26-nba-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/569039\/","title":{"rendered":"LeBron James could make shocking return to former team after 2025-26 NBA season"},"content":{"rendered":"

Amid trade rumors involving Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/a>, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James could star in a shocking move soon, too. The four-time NBA champion hasn\u2019t returned to the Finals since the tumultuous 2019-20 season, and the lack of success with the Lakers might be getting to everybody.<\/p>\n

ESPN insider Brian Windhorst described a scenario in which the Lakers request James to take a \u201csignificant pay cut\u201d to extend their partnership. In the case he declines, the Cleveland Cavaliers would be open to welcoming him back for his final season.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThere\u2019s a realistic scenario. LeBron has two big decisions to make when the season is over, whenever that is for the Lakers. One is, is he going to play another season? And he\u2019s made it very clear that he doesn\u2019t seem to know, and I believe that,\u201d Windhorst said on Thursday\u2019s episode of \u201cGet Up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe second thing is, if he\u2019s going to play for another season, then how much money is he willing to play for? Because the Lakers almost certainly are going to ask him to take a pay cut, potentially a significant one. Would he be comfortable doing that to help the team build out, similar to what Dirk Nowitzki did in Dallas at the end of his career? Or would he consider if he doesn\u2019t like the Lakers\u2019 plan and offer, going somewhere else? And if he wants to go somewhere else, Cleveland is there. There are several different ways to get him. They definitely have a team where he would fit in, depending on what they might do in the offseason, but they\u2019re not going to be able to pay him a huge amount of money. So, really this comes down to where his comfort level in doing that is, especially with his family based in LA and the Southwest with his son playing in Arizona and his other son playing for the Lakers.\u201d<\/p>\n

https:\/\/twitter.com\/HaterReport_\/status\/2016878500813173007<\/p>\n

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Jeanie Buss denies report suggesting she turned against LeBron James<\/p>\n

Amid uncertainty regarding his future with the Lakers, LeBron James ended up involved in an explosive report that claimed Jeanie Buss turned against him. The former Lakers controlling owner denied the report<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really not right, given all the great things LeBron has done for the Lakers, that he has to be pulled into my family drama,\u201d Buss said. \u201cTo say that it wasn\u2019t appreciated is just not true and completely unfair to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

With Buss not making the calls, it seems that James and the Lakers could head towards a divorce.<\/p>\n

LeBron James joined the Lakers ahead of the 2018-19 season after four consecutive trips to the Finals with the Cavaliers. He won his third career title with the Eastern Conference team in 2016.<\/p>\n

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The post LeBron James could make shocking return to former team after 2025-26 NBA season<\/a> appeared first on The Big Lead<\/a>.<\/p>\n