Insider: LeBron James Will NOT Go To Lakers & Ask For A Contract

If the Los Angeles Lakers want LeBron James back this season, they're going to have to work hard at it. That's the word from insider Brian Windhorst. He told the crew at Get Up on Friday morning that LeBron isn't going to come begging.

He might even wait until August before "getting a feel for what my future looks like."

REPORT: Anthony Edwards is “privately” advocating for the Wolves to go after a healthy Kyrie Irving, per @ScoopB.

(h/t @Fullcourtpass) pic.twitter.com/w6IofpTOPp
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 20, 2026

"LeBron is not gonna go to the Lakers and say, 'more please'. They're going to have to come to him," Windhorst said.

"He can do whatever... If he wants to wait until the day before the season starts, there will be teams lined up to sign him. But if he wants to get a big-dollar contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, he's gonna have about a month."

But Windy adds that the Lakers "cannot sit around and wait until mid-August" with LeBron's expired $58M blowing in the wind.

"They need to come to LeBron and say, 'LeBron, here's what we wanna offer and why,'" Windhorst said. "It's not just about the actual dollars. It's about the respect that you want to show and to say, 'Listen, if we want you to take a pay cut to whatever it's gonna be, this is what we're gonna do with the money. We're gonna chase these guys.'"

James isn't the only big decision for the Purple & Gold this summer. They also need to get Austin Reaves signed. He'll be opting out of his $15 player option in order to sign a new, massive deal. He's eligible for a five-year max contract worth over $240 million. If the Lakers don't want to give it to him, he could seek a four-year max deal elsewhere. Nobody expects it to come that, but crazier things have happened.