After getting eliminated in the first round of the second straight season, 21-time All-Star Lakers forward LeBron James was noncommittal about his future in the NBA.
The four-time MVP holds a lucrative $52.6MM player option for the 2025/26 season, which would be his record-setting 23rd in the league. At 40, James has been the NBA’s oldest player for two straight years. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, it is anticipated that James will at least return to suit up next season, as he noted on The Pat McAfee Show (YouTube video link).
“There’s no expectation for LeBron James to retire,” Charania said (hat tip to RealGM). “I will say that my sense, my understanding is he will play at least another NBA season. You think about next year, it’ll be year 23, that would set a league record. Year 23 for number 23. The All-Star game is in Los Angeles. He’s potentially playing in Los Angeles. There’s a lot of stars that would align for next season, potentially, if that’s what LeBron James decides. He’d be 41 years old in December.”
James put up impressive averages of 25.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.8 blocks per game in L.A.’s 4-1 first round loss to Minnesota, but he often appeared exhausted by the fourth quarter of those bouts.
“And the other thing is does Bryce James, his son, does that factor play into it at all?” Charania said. “His son is going to be potentially draft-eligible in 2026 next year. So if he feels at some point next year Bryce James might be an NBA player. Might be a draft-eligible player, does he extend that window? I think that’s the only potential carrot caveat that you think of out there that could keep LeBron James even longer than at least one more year.”
Bryce James has committed to play at Arizona in 2025/26.
There’s more out of Los Angeles:
- LeBron James’ eldest son, Bronny James, was a deep-bench rookie guard with the Lakers this past season. According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link), the 20-year-old verified after Wednesday’s loss that he will return to suit up in Summer League activities with L.A. for the second straight season.
- After a generally successful 50-win regular season, first-year Lakers head coach JJ Redick had a strange playoff run during a 4-1 first round elimination to the Timberwolves, opines Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register. Swanson noted that Redick’s unusual coaching choices may have contributed to L.A.’s expedient exit. Redick played just five players for the entire second half of an eventual Game 4 defeat, and subsequently insisted that the club’s late-game failings were not a result of clear fatigue. Redick also opted to play reserve big man Maxi Kleber in Game 5 in his first game as a Laker after a three-month recovery from foot surgery. The Lakers, who essentially opted against using a traditional center in Game 5, surrendered 56 paint points and 20 second-chance points to Minnesota in the loss.
- The Lakers now head into an uncertain offseason, as Mark Deeks of HoopsHype and Bobby Marks of ESPN observe in their respective summer previews. Beyond James’ contract decision, forward Dorian Finney-Smith also has a $15.4MM player option for 2025/26. The Lakers could offer five-time All-NBA guard Luka Doncic a four-year, maximum-salary contract extension as of August 2. Veteran players on sizable deals like forward Rui Hachimura, guard Gabe Vincent, and Kleber could all be used to match salaries should Los Angeles look to acquire perimeter or center help on the trade market.
Unfortunately this Lakers roster was set to be a better playoff team with AD and Christie, but couldn’t say no to Luka, who the roster wasn’t built around. Lakers gotta restructure the roster this offseason to maximize Luka and Bron together.
This Top 10 List could soon become a Top 15 if he keeps nauseating a growing amount of the population by not retiring soon (now!), Davey J.
My Top 10 favorite LeBron playoff exits…..
#1: 2017, Warriors, NBA Finals (gonna be tough to knock this one off the top spot. People tend to forgot the rosters were pretty even- it’s 2016 you could say was more of a mismatch in Cavs’ favor, and they almost blew it if it weren’t for the big assist from the league – as you had LeBron/KD, Kyrie/Steph, Love/Klay, Tristan/Dray.
#2: 2023, Nuggets, WCF (the relief and debt of gratitude to Jokic and the Nuggets was through the roof. It was getting to be too close – to the Finals – for comfort here, and the Lakers probably woulda defeated the Heat (again – although with true validation this time as compared to that lame summer league bubble tournament which many people skipped watching). To get swept out of the conference finals goes to show you a team is not top-tier level – a close conference finals defeat (like 4-3 or 4-2) and there’s a strong argument that even though that team didn’t go to Finals or win it all, they should still be seriously considered among the top tier of teams for a particular season)
#3-#10: TBA
(I may adjust some of the rankings along the way. Please be patient. And stay tuned.)
@DaveyJ , do you trade Reaves for a big?
How many burner accounts to have a conversation with yourself?
@bowserhound mods can IP prove this allegation real easy with my replying.
@EMS Nah, I’d keep Reeves but flip everyone else into a more cohesive unit, especially the bench.
I highly doubt the mods have access to the IP addresses. The IP address will not tell you anything, unless you are a troll.
They have 53M in contacts to make deals. Guess Durant is coming to LA. lol
There is no maximizing Luka. He doesn’t play defense. Period. Until he plays both sides of the ball the lakers, nor Luka, will never win. Regular season games are a different kind of game and really don’t matter.
Stop drinking the kool aid, Luka isn’t a winning player, he’s a me-first player.
Lakers in 5. No one said it was going to be a loss in 5
A lot of people want to celebrate the end to the career of one the greatest athletes to ever play any sport. We should all celebrate and enjoy.
Setting a real bad example by pushing his kids to enter the draft after a single season. Bronny could be a decent option on a college team while getting an education, kid could have actually learned ball from a serious coach who would get the most out of him, then entered the draft down the road and actually made his own way into the NBA. Instead, Lebron got his own team to throwaway a late pick so his son could ride the bench the entire season while being coached by his dad’s incompetent friend.
Lakers suck ……. The Lame Show ……..
Hero Ball —- OneWay Wonder
Luka Dončić averaged 30.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game. The Lakers lost the series 4-1. Take your Ares back to Europe we play BOTH ways in the USA ….. bye bye
Irony is dead. A Knicks fan mocks the Lakers franchise.
Or are you parody account?
Learn your history Lakers and Knicks are all over it. …. This is more about a oneway player. Something 80% of posters on here think is a GOD.
Good thing I’ve said he’s been out of shape and one dimensional. Thanks for the compliment Al!
Seriously bro. MJ I don’t like. Cause he owned us.
He was a bad man. Cause he could do it to you on O or D. Very few can do that. Luka is a OneWay Wonder. And if you love ball like I do. You gotta call it out. Thats all
Dude posted 30 PPG like it’s an insult. Just get ready for the Kincks exit vs Boston
I never said we can beat Boston. Not fixing our bench assures that. We‘ ll show up in nlike Lakers
Haaa has hooo ho ho hu hasa hee hooo has ha ha
Ya’ll barely beat the Pistons. The 2025 DETROIT Pistons. Get over yourself Spike.
Yeah I’ m all broken up about that loll …….
“Learn your history Lakers and Knicks are all over it.”
Lol. History says Knicks are LOSERS.
Knicks have won ZERO titles in 52 years. Lakers have won TWELVE in that time.
History is not on your side.
Knicks have been to how many Finals. Yeah that don’t mean much to someone like you. Only two teams make the finals. Dude I own you. Talk to me about OG and Mitch. Go read espn and come back with a response. Ball comes easy to me. Catch up
> Knicks have been to how many Finals?
Spoken like a true Knicks fan! Proud to be runner-up.
History says the Knicks rarely go to the Finals. Octogenarians (like KnickerbockerAl?) will recall the Knickerbocker glory days in the 50’s, when the NBA had 8 teams. The Knicks made the Finals 3 times, losing (of course) each time, to the storied Rochester Royals and Minneapolis Lakers. The 60’s were even less kind: the Knicks had no Finals appearances.
History says the Knicks are the.NBA’s doormat, sorry. If you want to mock the Lakers, consider changing that Knicks logo to the Celtics’, Spurs’ or Warriors’ so folks don’t think your a parody account.
Yeah spoken like a real fan. Only critique the real ones. Who do you root for. Why are you even here defending the Lakers . . Like you have some kind of knowledge. You are a non who blurts out stuff about everything and knows nothing. Or stands up for anything espn critiques. The day you commit to knowledge. Is the day we can have a conversation. So get informed. You bore me.
Lakers likely sign Capella in the off season.