Asked during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday about LeBron James‘ future, ESPN’s Shams Charania said the Lakers star appears likely to exercise his $52.6MM player option for the 2025/26 season (YouTube link).
“I’m told he’s likely to opt in. … That’s likely, that’s the plan,” Charania said. “But his option date is June 29, so he still has about a month to figure it out. There’s going to be some hard conversations that are going to happen between him (and) the Lakers, seeing what this team looks like. Because whether he plays one more season or a few more seasons, he wants to be in a competitive environment.
“… He’s probably going to opt in because the option is so big. And then that gives you flexibility to figure out, do you extend off that number or…if this is the last hurrah, essentially.”
When the Lakers’ season came to an end a few weeks ago, James expressed uncertainty about his NBA future and didn’t confirm that he’d return to Los Angeles in 2025/26 or even continue his playing career at all.
However, it has always seemed highly unlikely that James would announce his retirement this summer, and there has been no indication in recent years that he has any interest in leaving L.A., despite some up-and-down seasons during his time with the Lakers. With Luka Doncic now in the picture, there’s a newfound reason for optimism for the franchise, seemingly reducing the odds of a LeBron exit.
[RELATED: LeBron James Says MCL Sprain Is ‘Getting Better’]
Given that context, Charania’s report makes sense, though it’s worth noting that if he opts in, James would be earning less than his maximum salary (projected to be $54.1MM) and wouldn’t have the ability to sign an extension before that contract expires next summer. So even if he wants to just commit for one more season with the Lakers and then leave his options open in 2026, he could still end up turning down his player option in order to sign a new one-year contract.
Assuming James returns for the ’25/26 season, it would be his 23rd year in the NBA, which would be a new league record. LeBron’s 22 seasons in the NBA puts him in a tie with Vince Carter for the current mark.
Not many teams have payroll under the cap that sign a big name free agent. Many of the good young teams that could use him have no flexability because needing to use on future free agents.
Nobody wants that cancer on their team. LeBron doesn’t come in and fit into a system. You would have to change your entire team around for him. Not to mention he’s 40 years old.
Cancer? Dude’s never asked for a trade and always plays out his contract, most of his teammates admire the man, he’s versatile as he can run the offense or play as secondary creator and knock down threes and he usually makes the right play. There’s been few players in NBA history that have been as successful as he has. He’s led three different franchises to a championship. LeBron is a system.
Only point that you brought up that makes any sense is that he’s 40. He is getting up there. The thing is though, even at forty he’s still better than 90% of the other players in the game.
Lebron is not as liked as a teammate. Time will show who he truly. He loved Diddy Parties he said. This statement will eventually show his true colors.
I’m more willing to go off what his former and current teammates have said about LeBron in interviews than what some dude on the Internet that never knew the man says. Austin Reaves would be selling used Chevys in Arkansas or Oklahoma without Lebron’s tutelage.
Lots of people went to Diddy’s parties. From Donald Trump, Shaq, Oprah, Kevin Hart, Prince Harry, Lenny Kravitz, Martha Stewart, Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross etc. I’m willing to admit some of those folks probably took part in the “freak outs” but most just went to the regular parties.
His true colors? He’s dedicated, wants to win and wants to be successful.
@Chucktoad1, why do you Bron fans always say “the man” or “this man”? Annoying Bronsexual kangz.
What would I call him? LeBron hasn’t been asked to be referred to by anything else.
@Spike
There’s the regular parties and then there’s the breakout the baby oil parties. I just don’t see him getting down like that and if he did that’s not a crime.
A team cancer that leaves championships at every stop. What is KD who gets coaches fired and makes every team he is on worse since Golden State?
Mike Brown twice
David Blatt
Frank Vogel
They won the championship after firing Blatt and went from missing playoffs to conference final after Vogel. Almost like he was right when it’s time to move on
After they lost in the finals with an injured Irving and Love.
Blatt’s coaching had nothing to do with them losing.
@darren
Mike Brown was hired while LBJ played for the Cavs and he took him to the finals and made him relevant. He was fired after LBJ went to Miami and he never coached LBJ again. what did he do to him? And Blatt was a hourly coach for a win now team and never came back to the nba. Vogel won his first and only chip as a coach so he should have nothing to complain about.
Amk1920:
2004-10 tenure with Cavs really does technically count as ‘a stop’ – but we can sweep that, along with his other blemishes, under the rug. Considering that many fans may be purposely (inadvertently?) lowering their standards/expectations of the criteria that qualifies an athlete as an ‘all-time great’, I doubt many basketball/LeBron fans will recognize it to be at least a TAD awkward when he has no choice but to dawn a Cleveland Cavaliers hat at his HOF induction, despite leading the franchise to a mere one (league assisted) championship – while having played for something like 4 different coaches – over 11 total seasons there, and turning down Cleveland for another team of his own choosing twice.
Playing at a hall of fame level for 21 years doesn’t make you an all time great? Funny how you talk about lowering standards while also making an excuse for a 73-9 team not winning the championship because Draymond missed one game up 3-1 and they blew two more chances to win the series
@The
The bad coaches his wasn’t his fault. The league didn’t assist anyone with them winning a chip. Everyone in the world knew how many fouls Dray had until he was suspended. it was discussed over and over s he kept taking them up. when the refs called the foul on him that triggered the suspension what were they supposed to do? ignore it?
What do you consider a cancer then?Sure he’s 39/40 but the guy produces more then guys 20 yrs younger then him and he’s going to be 40 next season. He doesn’t get coaches fired always blames himself when the team loses.James is the last player who could be called a cancer on a team.
How many other teams would be willing to pay 50 million plus for him at this point? They’d have to have the cap room
Be competitive and close to winning it all (otherwise why bother bringing him in)
Want to go through the drama he brings and the fit he has with the other players
I think it’s lakers or bust at this point at that price…..
Knicks, Cavs, Clippers, Milwaukee, GSW, Spurs, and Philly would all likely jump at having him off or didn’t mean tearing apart their team for salary matching purposes. And you don’t know anything about basketball if you dint think almost all players need some tailoring to the lineup to best make use of their skills. that any Kominga was sent to the bench. the team is built around Curry and Komingas style didn’t fit.
Lakers will never be able to give LBJ as much as he has given us. Took us from a meme to a dream (chip)
Saying all that, life isn’t a balance sheet and there’s no auditors keeping score
I hardly ever advocate any player leaving a dime on the table BUT…
This dude is worth over a Billion with future incomes (Vegas franchise) pretty solidly in the wings
If you want to talk about being competitive there’s only one move LBj….take the discount to allow the full MLE….. Barbers gonna have to go real High and Tight and prolly shave his 52 mill to around 30 flat for that to happen comfortably. NAW would be my player to use it on to replace Max Christie (on the DDV ) or 4 year full MLE which equates to a 4/60 this summer
** If he doesn’t take the discount, (despite paragraph 2 ) you cant give him a player option with a NTC next year, you just gotta say this is prolly it my boy take the 52 mill next year and we are staying open on the books for 2026 summer (No player option for 26) He did nothing wrong its simply just a new era and Luka timeframe that has entered the equation
Like I say, life isnt a balance sheet and business is business even if he’s been a good business partner over the last 7 years. Nature of the beast
No playoffs
Bubble championship
First round exit
No playoffs
Swept in the WCF
First round exit
First round exit
Looks like Carmelo Anthony results to me.
You mean other than the fact he won a championship
After an extra 3 months off while playing in a high school gym with no fans?
Yup. After everyone had three months off so there weren’t as many key players on any team injured. No fans. No team had home court advantage. In fact the Lakers had the best record in the West by 3.5 when the season was suspended with about 10 games to go so they most likely would’ve had home court until the finals. No excuses , just play basketball and the best team wins.
It was more than 3 months. Wasn’t it something like just over FOUR MONTHS between when the 2020 season was suspended and when it resumed in the Orlando bubble, you guys? Think about it……that’s the equivalent of a team having all of May, June, July, and August off, and getting a little bit of September off before returning for the NEXT season’s training camp! – kinda like what, say, the 2024-25 LA Lakers offseason schedule looks like. So one could say the amount of time they had off PRIOR to finishing the ‘20 regular season and beginning the subsequent playoffs was about the equivalent to the time off that a team in a typical year has when it qualifies for the first round of the playoffs, and it is fairly close to the amount of time a team gets off when it is eliminated in the second round of the playoffs (~mid May through ~the end of September).
Recognizing this, it’d be a fair assessment to view the 2020 title as a separate entity from the 2019-20 season. If the delay in resuming the season was a timeframe LESS THAN the equivalent of an entire freaking OFFSEASON for several teams, then, sure, any critical observer could deem the 2020 playoffs as a reasonable EXTENSION of the 2019-20 regular season. What the Lakers essentially won was a summer league tournament – an entity SEPARATE from the 2019-20 and 2020-21 NBA seasons. So, recognizing THIS, should we then give the winning teams of the annual Summer League – typically held in Las Vegas – their “damn respect” for winning a summer tournament? I mean….if it’s a unanimous vote we SHOULD, then heck, let’s do it!
@Darren
Every team had the same 3 months off right? And no one had fans? So no advantage
@Darren
just because you’re too dumb to appreciate the chip means nothing. that chip was legit. every team played under the exact conditions and none held an advantage. how more fair and honest can you get?
Another wasted season it is. It’s build around luka time or stuck in mud at best.
Come on dude, every team in the NBA would want LeBron.
Lakers biggest need is a big. Lopez is nice addition and shouldn’t cost much. This could be done. But even so. It means you are still dependent on a 41?yr old to carry your team. Thats just a fantasy. I agree Bron doesn’t need the money. He could help Lakers by taking less. I still don’t see Lakers as a contender. His best move for him and team. Is to leave and go take mid level with a contender. Or even the minimum. That assures him another shot at a title. Go to Cavs, Knicks, Mavs, Bucks
@Knick
But they wouldn’t be dependent on LBJ. They would have Luka and hopefully Reeves too. They were a contender last year with no time for Luka and LBJ to gel and without a center since they traded AD and the Mark Williams trade fell thru. The Yeolves eye a bad matchup. Lakers win 50 and the Wolves 49. But the Wolves were able to throw multiple big bodies at LBJ who had to play center.
Scared to retire. Him still on the team means Lakers can’t improve much…
I’m sure he wants to be #1 on the all-time games played list.
Lakers want marquee players and LeBron is a ham. It’s an ideal marriage.
If he wanted to be competitive he’d take a paycut to let them use the mle
It’s their best path forward
Gonna be an interesting offseason for sure