‘There Will Be No Shortage of Teams Waiting’ for LeBron James When He Becomes Free Agent Next Offseason
“There will be no shortage of teams waiting” for NBA legend LeBron James when he becomes an unrestricted free agent next offseason, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN.
LeBron will make $52.6 million next season in the final year of his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. The leading scorer in NBA history will become an unrestricted free agent next offseason for the first time since 2018.
“When LeBron James does become a free agent next summer, there will be no shortage of teams waiting for him,” Marks wrote. “The crosstown Clippers could have enough money to sign him outright and pair him with Kawhi Leonard. Then there are the championship-caliber teams Cleveland, New York and Dallas, that only have the veterans minimum exception to offer in free agency. The Warriors would have the non-tax midlevel exception to offer.”
LeBron turns 41 in December. He’s the oldest active player in the NBA. The four-time MVP and four-time Finals MVP has been with the Lakers since 2018. He guided the franchise to the 2020 championship against his old team, the Miami Heat, at the Walt Disney World bubble.
A future Hall of Famer, LeBron made the All-NBA Second Team and finished sixth in MVP voting last season. The forward would be 42 years old during the 2026-27 season. It’s unknown if LeBron plans to play in 2026-27.
A four-time champion, LeBron has played for the Cleveland Cavaliers (twice), Heat and Lakers. He enters next season with career averages of 27.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.7 blocks. The Akron native is the only player in NBA history to rank top five all-time in points and assists.
It will be fascinating to see if LeBron retires after next season or chooses to play in 2026-27. The basketball icon has been in the NBA since 2003.
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