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LeBron James left his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers for a second time after the 2017-18 season. He’s spent the past seven NBA seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, winning a championship with the franchise in 2020.
James entered this offseason with a $52.6 million player option, which he ultimately decided to exercise for the 2025-26 season. Despite the decision, James could be open to at least exploring options with other teams before the new season tips off in the fall.
James has already played 21 NBA seasons and will celebrate his 41st birthday a few months into next season. While it is unclear exactly how much longer James will continue playing in the league, he is certainly much closer to the end of his storied career than he is to the beginning or even mid-point.
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LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on April 1, 2022 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. (Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)
Lakers insider Jovan Buha recently offered his perspective on where the four-time NBA champion’s relationship stands with the Purple and Gold.
“I mean, I want to be careful with what I say about Bron’s relationship with the front office or the organization, but I don’t think it’s in the best place right now, to be completely honest,” Buha said during an appearance on his “Buha’s Block” podcast.
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Klutch Sports founder and CEO Rich Paul, who also represents James, told ESPN that James “will be closely monitoring the Lakers’ moves and whether the team is positioning itself this offseason to field a title-contending roster.”
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James appears during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, on Feb. 10, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
Buha also highlighted the lack of an “official statement” from the Lakers in the hours and subsequent days following him exercising his player option.
“As you know, there’s been no official statement about LeBron opting in. There typically is — especially for a player of that magnitude,” Buha noted. “And then he’s had his stuff on social media or whatever he’s posted, and there was obviously the statement when he opted in. So, I don’t think things are in the best place they’ve ever been. I’ll just say that. Make of that what you want.”
LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers stands on the court prior to the start of an NBA game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on March 27, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. ( Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who has spent the past two decades following James’ career, recently hinted at the possibility of James being involved in a trade that placed him with a different team.
“I would have said, four days ago when LeBron opted into his contract, I would have said there was no chance of him getting traded. At the time, I just didn’t think so,” Windhorst said last week on ESPN Cleveland, according to Real GM.
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“After having conversations over the last three or four days, I’m no longer saying there is no chance. I am not saying it’s likely, but I cannot responsibly say there’s no chance anymore.”
The Lakers acquired Luka Doncic via a shocking blockbuster trade in February. But the team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in April.
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