The Los Angeles Lakers are in the midst of a turning point in franchise history. Along with the impending sale of the team, the Lakers are now moving from the ‘LeBron James era‘ to the ‘Luka Doncic era’.
While Doncic just signed a contract keeping him in Los Angeles until at least 2028, James picked up his player option for next year, setting himself up for free agency in 2026. Bobby Marks of ESPN wrote that James’ future with the Lakers remains uncertain.
“The only guarantee is that James will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, and if he does play an unprecedented 24th season, it will likely be with a team that can win a championship,” Marks wrote.
James and his agent, Rich Paul, sent a clear message to the Lakers after he picked up his player option for next season, meaning he and the team’s relationship could be strained to a greater degree than publicly reported.
LeBron James In Free Agency?
As things stand now, James will become a free agent after the 2025-26 NBA season, entering a historic 24th year of his career. Paul told Shams Charania of ESPN that his goal is to compete for championships in the twilight of his career.
“He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all,” Paul said to Charania. “We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”
As Los Angeles prepares for a future around Doncic, Paul added that James knows that is their plan, which might involve more long-term goals.
“We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future,” Paul said. We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career.”
Interestingly enough, even before James picked up his option, Doncic reportedly said he hopes and expects to compete for titles now, saying, “I don’t want to wait.”
The fate of James’ future is surrounded by the type of contract he would be willing to sign, whether with the Lakers or another competing team. Zach Harper of The Athletic wrote that teams might not be willing to offer up a near-max contract, even with his continued success on the court.
“He’ll have a lot of places that will want to employ what is presumed to be the final chapter of his historic NBA career,” Harper wrote. The question is whether those pursuers will want to pay him max money. Does it make sense to eat one-third of your cap on a player in his 40s?”
2026 Free Agent Class
If on the market, James would be one of the top free agents available, but there are still numerous other players whom teams around the league will be gunning after.
Others on that list, though not guaranteed, could be Kevin Durant, James Harden, Trae Young, as well as 12 ‘top starter’ caliber players, and 25 ‘starter level‘ players, according to Marks.
Austin Reaves of the Lakers was one of those players set for free agency on that ‘top starter‘ list. He reportedly turned down an $89 million contract with Los Angeles, and could join James in leaving the franchise next summer.
“In the summer of 2026, Reaves will be eligible to sign a four-year, $98 million extension, or he can opt out of the final year of his contract, become an unrestricted free agent and be eligible for 25% of whatever the salary cap is for 2026-27,” Marks wrote.
If James and Reaves both end up becoming free agents and leaving, it would mean even more massive change for the Lakers. While they would still have Doncic, they would lose their other two top scorers and likely enter into a ‘semi-rebuild’ that would take place in the middle of Doncic’s prime.
James has always held major influence in the NBA since his arrival, but whatever decision he makes next summer could change the league for years to come.
He could stay in Los Angeles in hopes of winning another title, go to a team like the Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, or Cleveland Cavaliers in hopes of doing the same, or end his career after 23 seasons, in what would likely be the most surprising outcome.
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