Getty Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James. The Los Angeles Lakers are no longer beholden to LeBron James , which the team has shown in multiple ways this summer. James opted into his $52.6 million contract in late June and immediately indicated that he expects the Lakers to flip resources for a chance to win in 2025-26, which could be his last run in Los Angeles and the NBA . But L.A. hasn’t made any blockbuster trades and slogged through the first few days of free agency, losing Dorian Finney-