LeBron James is in the twilight of his career but is still producing and wants to compete at a high level with the Lakers. James reportedly sought an extension from the franchise this summer, but Rob Pelinka and LA did not offer him one.
That led to James opting into his player option, which will lead to him becoming a free agent in 2026. James will now miss at least the first month of the season due to sciatica, as he has not done any basketball activity for the last month or so.
James’ glute nerve has been irritated, and he and the Lakers want to take their time with the injury so it is not re-aggravated. With his uncertain return timetable and lack of extension, James’ future with the Lakers is now coming into focus.
This may be LeBron James’ last season with the Lakers and in the NBA
James is entering his 23rd season, so we knew the end would be coming sooner rather than later. He has been coy on the topic of retirement, but he has said that he knows he won’t be playing for much longer. When asked if he would wait for his son, Bryce James, to come into the league, James said he would not wait for him.
James has said that he wants to compete for another championship, and he has communicated that desire to the Lakers organization. He wants LA to go for it, but he can’t guarantee them a long-term commitment, so Pelinka has been hesitant to make costly win-now moves.
It has been widely reported that the Lakers are looking to have their salary books as clear as possible for 2026 and 2027 free agency, with a star-studded class on the horizon.
LA seems ready to move on from James and start the Luka Doncic era
When the Lakers shockingly acquired Doncic, it was clear that they viewed him as their face of the franchise. It is rare that you see a team acquire an MVP-caliber player like him via trade, but they wisely did not pass up that opportunity.
With Doncic signing a three-year extension, and the fact the is in line for a five-year supermax commitment in 2028, LA is operating as if he is their franchise player, a designation James held since he arrived in the summer of 2018.
James and the Lakers have enjoyed a fruitful partnership. He delivered them a championship in 2020, he became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in the purple and gold, and he helped bring the Laker standard back to life. It won’t be surprising if this is James’ last season as a Laker. It also won’t be surprising if he announces that he’ll hang it up at some point during the year.
