LeBron James is officially opting into his $52.6 million player option to play his 23rd season with the Los Angeles Lakers, the most of any player in NBA history. The 21-time All-Star has not yet declared whether this will be his final season, but he has made it clear that he intends to compete in 2025-’26. The Lakers made the shocking midseason trade to add Luka Doncic, but they lost in the opening round of the playoffs to the Timberwolves in just five games.
James’ agent, Rich Paul, spoke with ESPN’s Shams Charania about the difficulties of the two timelines now in place and why this short-term commitment is best for all parties. As he put it, “We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career.”
5:00 p.m. ET marks the deadline for all teams and players to decide on their options for next season, with the NBA free agency period beginning at 6:00 p.m. ET tomorrow. There will be plenty of eyes on the Lakers and the rest of the NBA. It’s gearing up to be what is expected to be one of the more intriguing offseasons in recent history. Effects of the new CBA are being felt across the league and forcing some teams to make financially driven decisions they would not prefer.
While he will be turning 41 years old this season, James continues to play at a high level. Across 70 games last season, the four-time MVP averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds per game. He may not be the clear-cut best player in the NBA, the way things have been in James’ career, but he is still a high-level all-star who contributes to winning in a major way. The question is not if James can still play, but rather how long he still wants to.
Famously, James was joined by his son, Bronny James, on the Lakers roster last season. The 20-year-old played in 27 total games and 181 total minutes at the NBA level last year while showing some promising production at the G League. LeBron is juggling quite a few factors in his decision, but it is worth noting that his second son, Bryce James, just completed his senior year of high school and is committed to the University of Arizona to play basketball next year.
Lakers futures odds movement
There is still plenty of work to be done on the Lakers’ roster for them to join the shortlist of contenders in an incredibly competitive Western Conference. Currently, Los Angeles holds +1400 odds of winning the NBA Championship on DraftKings Sportsbook, the sixth-best odds, and +900 odds of winning the Western Conference. James also holds +15,000 odds of winning MVP, tied for the 16th-best odds in the league.
Expect more updates on the Lakers roster in the coming days as the offseason hits its full swing. But with James officially set to return and some optimism with the fitness level of Luka Doncic, there is reason to believe in Los Angeles this season.
