This article was originally published on fansided.com as Rob Pelinka's big plan for the Lakers will only alienate LeBron James. The Los Angeles Lakers and GM Rob Pelinka are making one of the riskiest moves of this year’s free agency: punting on immediate roster upgrades in favor of preserving salary cap flexibility for the 2026–27 offseason.

As LeBron James continues to keep an eye on what the Los Angeles Lakers will do to upgrade their roster for next season, the scenario of him potentially returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers doesn't seem to be on the table right now.

LeBron James has become a hot topic of conversation around the NBA. With all of the new reports surrounding his relationship with the Los Angeles Lakers souring, there has been a lot of speculation that he could be traded.