AJ Dybantsa Says He Won’t Be “Starstruck” to Play Against LeBron James but Doesn’t Want the Lakers Star to Retire

We are less than a week away from the 2026 NBA Draft, and one of the most anticipated prospects entering the draft is projected No. 1 pick, AJ Dybantsa. Coming out of Brigham Young University, Dybantsa made an emphatic NCAA debut with the Cougars. He averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 51.0% from the field. As he prepares to enter the league, Dybantsa recently shared which NBA star he is most looking forward to facing.

While things remain a blur as of now, the incoming No. 1 pick would like to go up against LeBron James. However, James' career is currently up in the air, and no one knows what's next for him. With that said, Dybantsa hopes LeBron won't retire yet so he can share the court with the King at least once in his career.

"Hopefully, Bron don't retire," Dybantsa said on ESPN. "Playing against Bron will be great. I don't think any of us get starstruck. ... But at the end of the day, bro like it's LeBron. The fact that you're on the same court with LeBron is great."

As of writing this, James' career remains a mystery. After the Los Angeles Lakers got eliminated in the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, Bron emphasized that he'd prioritize going on vacation first to think things over. He also specified that he'd make a decision either by late June or early July.

Several rumors suggest that James is likely to re-sign with the Lakers despite the friction between both parties. However, other rumors say that LeBron could suit up for another team next season. Of course, there's still a small chance that he retires, despite not completely ruling out a 24th season.

NBA Insider reveals Lakers not expected to offer LeBron James a max contract

Given all the rumors and speculations regarding LeBron James career, all signs are pointing towards him running it back with the Los Angeles Lakers. However, there's one major concern, and that's money.

James said on his podcast, Mind the Game, that he would only be interested in playing for a team that is willing to pay him a huge sum. Keeping that in mind, it's quite tricky for the Lakers to come up with an amount that would entice the King.

NBA insider Dave McMenamin recently reported that while the Lakers are likely to sign James during free agency, they're not expected to offer him a max contract.

"The sentiment is that the Lakers are the leaders in the clubhouse if (LeBron James) decides to play ... what does the dollar figure look like? He made $53M last season, the max the Lakers could offer him is 3 years, $182 million. Nobody thinks the Lakers will offer anywhere close to that," McMenamin reported.

McMenamin also believes that the most the Lakers could offer is somewhere between $20 million and $30 million. With that said, we're not entirely sure if James would agree to such an offer.