Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is expected to play one more season in the NBA, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
James, 41, becomes an unrestricted free agent this offseason for the first time since 2018. His future with the Lakers is up in the air, as the franchise is now building around Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves.
If LeBron James doesn’t retire this offseason, most people around the NBA expect the future Hall of Famer to either re-sign with the Lakers or sign with his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers.
James has been with the Purple and Gold since the 2018-19 season. The basketball icon led the team to the 2020 championship at the Walt Disney World bubble. Los Angeles also made the 2023 Western Conference Finals, a series the Denver Nuggets won in four games.
A January ESPN article stated, in part, that Lakers governor Jeanie Buss didn’t like that James “was considered a savior for a floundering franchise when he arrived in 2018.” ESPN also reported that Buss feels James hasn’t taken enough accountability for the Russell Westbrook trade being a failure.
After the ESPN article was published, James’ future with the Lakers has been a hot topic in league circles.
A 22-time All-Star, James has played for the Cavaliers twice. He’s the best player in franchise history and will get his No. 23 jersey retired by the organization one day. A “farewell tour” with Cleveland would be a storybook ending for James, who was born and raised in Akron, Ohio.
The NBA’s all-time leader in points and field goals, James drove the Cavaliers to their only championship in 2016 against the 73-9 Golden State Warriors. The 2015-16 Cleveland team is the only squad in NBA history to erase a 3-1 series deficit in the NBA Finals.
Arguably the greatest player in NBA history, James is a four-time MVP, four-time champion and four-time Finals MVP. He’s still an offensive force despite being the association’s oldest active player. James is averaging 21.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game for the Lakers this season.
Los Angeles is in third place in the Western Conference standings.
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