LeBron James is in the midst of his record-setting 23rd season in the NBA. It’s also his eighth season as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, but it might be his last season with the franchise.
According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, the “buzz” around the league’s landscape is that this will be James’ final season with the Lakers, regardless of if he decides to retire after the season or not. James is reportedly undecided about playing beyond the current campaign.
James is on the final year of his current contract after exercising his $52 million player option for the 2025-26 season. So once this season ends he will no longer be under contract with the Lakers. At that point in time, he’ll be free to do whatever he wants – re-sign with the Lakers, sign elsewhere or call it a career.
The fact that James is playing on an expiring contract has led some to speculate that he plans to retire after the season. But, he could also just be keeping his options open. He was non-committal about his basketball future at the start of the season.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to be able to play the game that I love for another season,” James said at media day. “However the journey lays out this year, I’m super-invested, because I don’t know when the end is. I know it’s a lot sooner than later.”
This story will be updated.