The clearest signal yet that LeBron James is staying in Los Angeles arrived Wednesday morning, and it came with a surprise twist.
During ESPN’s “NBA Today,” veteran NBA insider Marc J. Spears said he is hearing that James is “likely coming back” to the Los Angeles Lakers — and that Kevin Love, James’ closest ally from the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers championship, could be joining him.
“That’s what I’m hearing. I’m hearing that he’s likely coming back,” Spears said. “I am curious under this new Lakers regime, you know, what the number is.”
Spears then added the twist that caught everyone off guard.
“And also I’m hearing that one of his old teammates from Cleveland, Kevin Love, could likely be joining the Lakers, too,” Spears said. “Unrestricted free agent, rejoining his old buddy. And so I could see those two guys being reunited there.”
Both James and Love are set to become unrestricted free agents when their current contracts expire June 30. Spears’ comments come just days after the two reunited in London to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Cleveland’s historic 3-1 comeback title over the Golden State Warriors — and with NBA free agency less than two weeks away, the timing is hard to ignore.
Nothing is finalized. But for a fanbase that has spent weeks wondering whether the King was actually coming back, Wednesday’s update is the most encouraging news yet.
The LeBron Situation
James spent the 2025-26 season playing in 60 regular-season games for Los Angeles, averaging 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game. He was named an All-Star for the 22nd time in his career and proved his value in the playoffs — carrying a Luka Doncic-less, shorthanded Lakers team past the Houston Rockets in the first round before the Oklahoma City Thunder swept them in the second round.
His contract situation is complicated. James played last season on a $52.6 million player option — a number no team in the NBA is going to match for a 41-year-old, even one producing at his level. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, rival NBA teams are expecting James to take a pay cut to return to the Lakers. But Windhorst noted that the framing matters enormously.
“The Lakers have a problem. The Lakers don’t want to lose LeBron James, but they don’t want to pay him $50 million for it because the rest of the league isn’t going to come bidding $50 million,” Windhorst said on ESPN’s “Get Up.” “If you want LeBron to take a pay cut, you better bring him a reason to take a pay cut. I think LeBron would be open to that.”
The key, per Windhorst, is framing — any below-market offer has to come packaged with a credible plan to improve the roster around James, not simply a suggestion that he is no longer worth his previous salary. James reportedly declined comment when asked directly about a pay cut, preferring to wait and see what the front office assembles before deciding how flexible he will be.
James’ realistic options outside of Los Angeles are also limited. The Warriors — the team most frequently cited as the biggest external threat — can offer around $15 million via the non-taxpayer mid-level exception at best. The Cavaliers are over the cap and would need James to take a far more dramatic discount to make the numbers work — something Windhorst has said he does not expect to happen. The Lakers remain the only contender with significant cap space to offer James.
“I think LeBron’s intention is to play and I think the focus right now is making a deal with the Lakers,” Windhorst said
The Kevin Love Angle
The surprise element of Spears’ report is Love, and it is the part that will divide Lakers fans.
Love, who turns 38 in September, spent last season with the Utah Jazz. He appeared in 37 games, averaging 6.7 points and 5.8 rebounds as Utah finished 22-60 in full rebuilding mode. He was frequently scratched from the lineup entirely. These are not the numbers of a player commanding significant money on the open market.
But for what the Lakers would actually need him to do, his limitations matter less than they appear.
The Lakers are building around Luka Doncic, a player whose offensive system thrives with floor spacers who can shoot from the perimeter, move the ball intelligently and function in a five-out offense. Love, even at this stage of his career, fits that profile. He shot 37.8% from 3-point range on limited attempts with Utah last season and remains one of the smartest high-post passers in the league. In a limited 18-to-20-minute role behind a starting center, there is real utility there.
There is also the intangible dimension. Love was a central figure in the greatest comeback in Finals history. His relationship with James is genuine and well-documented, and the London reunion — celebrating 10 years since that Cavaliers title — clearly kept those lines of communication open. If James is returning to Los Angeles for what could be one of the final seasons of his career, having a trusted friend in the building matters.
From a cap standpoint, Love is almost certainly looking at a minimum deal or something close to it. The financial risk for the Lakers is minimal.
What the Cap Actually Looks Like
The Lakers’ financial flexibility this offseason depends on which free agents they choose to retain and which they renounce.
According to ESPN, if the Lakers renounce all of their free agents except Austin Reaves — using Bird rights to re-sign him separately after spending cap space — they could have roughly $47 million to $50 million to work with this summer. Reaves is expected to receive close to $40 million annually on his next deal, per multiple reports, and the Lakers are widely considered the favorites to bring him back.
That leaves a real but narrow window to pay LeBron. Depending on how aggressively the team pursues other targets first — particularly a starting center — the number available for James could land anywhere between $10 million and $25 million.
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka addressed James’ future at the team’s season-ending news conference.
“Of course any team, including ours, would love to have LeBron James on their roster,” Pelinka said.
The Center Remains the Key
One thing Spears’ report does not change: the Lakers still have a critical need at center.
According to a Western Conference executive, the Lakers appear “laser focused” on landing a frontcourt piece this offseason and “can’t compete” without addressing the position. Deandre Ayton, who played for the Lakers this past season, is widely expected to opt out of his player option. Jaxson Hayes, a quality backup center this season, is also expected to test the market as an unrestricted free agent.
Restricted free agents Walker Kessler of the Utah Jazz and Jalen Duren of the Detroit Pistons have both been connected to the Lakers, though matching offers from their current teams complicate those pursuits.
This is the move that shapes everything else. A legitimate defensive center who can protect the rim and operate in pick-and-rolls with Doncic would address the team’s most glaring weakness — and make a LeBron-Reaves-Love combination significantly more viable on both ends of the floor.
Doncic himself has been direct about what the roster needs. He called this a “very important offseason” following what he described as a bad season, making clear he expects the front office to be aggressive.
What to Watch
Free agency officially opens June 30. James and Love both become unrestricted free agents that day, and the Lakers will be able to finalize deals after the mandatory moratorium period clears.
Spears’ report Wednesday is the clearest indication yet that James will be back in purple and gold next season. The Love piece adds an intriguing layer to what the final roster could look like. And the center acquisition — whoever it turns out to be — will likely determine whether this group is a legitimate title contender or a team that gets stress-tested come March.
Lakers fans have been waiting for good news this offseason. Wednesday delivered some.
