LeBron James has opted into the final, $52.6 million year of his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2025-26 rather than opt out and renegotiate a new deal with more optionality moving forward.
That call in itself as an interesting decision in the context of his future career plans, and it isn’t the only news involving James’ future that broke on Sunday, June 29.
James has a no-trade clause in his current two-year deal, which means he will determine if he remains in Los Angeles or not for the entirety of next season. However, it’s highly possible that James could have gotten a no-trade clause included in a new one-plus-one contract with a player option in 2026-27. In doing so, he could have guaranteed himself a massive salary two years from now and full control of his career should he decide to play two more seasons.
James’ decision to leave money on the table and not protect himself beyond the upcoming campaign doesn’t necessarily mean he’s going to retire or play elsewhere after his age-41 season, but it clearly renders both outcomes more likely based on the preponderance of evidence.
Beyond that, someone recently recorded James making comments during a dinner in a New York City restaurant that his wife, Savannah James, wants him to retire sooner than later.
“Savannah wants me to [expletive] retire in the next year or so,” James said, per a video/audio recording posted by the “SportsCenter” X account.
LeBron James Already Teammates With 1 Son on Lakers, Could Make it Both Sons 2 Seasons From Now
GettyLos Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.
James’ decision is even more unique because of its timing and the facts surrounding it.
The Lakers selected his eldest son, Bronny James, with the No. 55 pick in the 2024 NBA draft. The two made history last season as the first father-son duo to ever play in an NBA game together as teammates.
And while Bronny James averaged just 2.3 points in 6.7 minutes of court time across 27 appearances (one start) with the Lakers during his rookie campaign, he excelled in 11 contests with the team’s G League affiliate.
Bronny James’ collective performance for the South Bay Lakers — which included 21.9 points, 5.4 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 1.9 steals in 34.2 minutes per night (44% from the field and 38% from the 3-point line on 17.5 and 8.4 attempts per contest, respectively) — is indicative that he has the chops to become a legitimate NBA rotation player.
All of that is to say that Bronny James —who has three seasons remaining on a four-year, $8 million contract — may actually develop into a legitimate part of what the Lakers do next season and/or the year after that.
Furthermore, Bryce James is a three-star recruit and headed to Arizona for his freshman season in 2025-26. James’ younger son will be eligible for the 2026 draft, meaning the four-time MVP could theoretically play with both of his sons on the same NBA court at the same time if he plays until the age of 42.
Lakers Giving LeBron James Plenty of Reasons to Remain in NBA Beyond Next Season
GettyLeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Buss family also just sold a majority stake in the team to Mark Walter, the leader of the Los Angeles Dodgers ownership group and one of the richest sports-owning conglomerates in the world.
That means that money will be no object when it comes to amenities, health/training programs, practice facilities, player development programs and scouting efforts moving forward. The league still promotes an onerous salary cap structure under the current collective bargaining agreement, but new ownership has deep enough pockets to pay tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions, in luxury tax for the right title opportunity.
There also exist roster construction penalties for paying a team that way, so it isn’t something the Lakers are likely to always do, but it is a possibility over a one- or two-year span in the appropriate contexts in the future. Beyond that, Luka Doncic just arrived in Los Angeles via trade last February, and most league insiders expect him to sign a three- or four-year contract extension with the Lakers in August, which will provide James with a superstar teammate for the remainder of his career, should he remain in L.A.
Finally, James earned second-team All-NBA honors last season at the age of 40. Based on that measure, he remains a top 10 player in the sport.
Some players were ineligible because of missed game totals or didn’t play up to their standards because of injury, but it is safe to say that James is probably still among the 20 best players in the league, even despite being the oldest. That in itself might be enough to inspire a return beyond the 2025-26 campaign, assuming James’ health and level of play don’t fall off a cliff over the next 12 months.
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