Despite rampant speculation, LeBron James is adamant that he has yet to make any decision about his future with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers and James’ season ended on April 29 with a 108-106 loss to the Denver Nuggets. LA lost the first-round series 4-1.
Rumors about James’ future started to ramp up shortly after the loss. He’s weighing a $51.4 million player option for the 2024-25 season. James took to social media to express his current position.
“I’ve seen, heard a lot of reports about my future. I said it last night and I’ll say it again. I do not know yet as I’m only thinking about spending time with my family & friends!” James tweeted on April 30. “When I know after speaking with the fam, my counsel as well as my representation about it then you guys will know. Until then [shush emoji].”
The statement is similar to what James said after the Game 5 loss.
“I’m not gonna answer that,” James said when asked about his future. “I just want to get home to the family. Honestly, one of my boys is trying to decide if he’s going to enter the draft or go back to school. Another kid is playing AAU ball right now. My daughter is playing volleyball. My wife is doing so many great things. So it’s about family right now. Then, in a couple months, I got to go to Vegas for training camp. So I need to rest my body for (USA Basketball).”
Lakers Working to Bring LeBron James Back
Despite James’ plea, there will be many rumors until the June 29 deadline attached to his option. At 39 years old, the four-time MVP averaged 25.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game. In his 21st season, James was still a force on the court. However, he acknowledged that retirement is around the corner.
“It’s still coming,” James told ESPN late in the season. “It’s not like, ‘Oh s—, I’m playing so great this year, you know what? I might play and stick around for even more [time].’ No. It’s coming.
“It’s cool. Because, to be honest, I don’t see myself falling off anytime soon. But then like, what am I doing?”
The Lakers would like James to finish his career in purple and gold. And the franchise is willing to go to lengths to keep him from leaving, per The Athletic.
“The Lakers, team sources say, would be open to discussing any deal that involves James coming back — including even the maximum three-year, $164 million extension they can offer,” The Athletic reported. “Playing through a three-year deal would put him at 42 by the end of the contract.”
Drafting James’ son, Bronny James, is also something the Lakers are open to if it helps sway their star’s decision.
Insider Believes LeBron James Will Become Free Agent
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who has followed James through his career, believes “The King” will turn down his option and become a free agent this offseason.
“I do think LeBron intends to opt out of his contract and become a free agent for the first time since 2018,” Windhorst said Tuesday, April 30 on “Get Up.” “I think that will apply a little bit of pressure to the Lakers.”
That doesn’t necessarily mean James is leaving LA. Opting out simply gives him more negotiating power and he can potentially get the exact deal he wants to finish out his career.
“I think there are some features he can put in a new contract,” Windhorst said. “If he opts in, he only gets one year and $50 million. He can potentially get multi-years, and he does not have a no-trade clause in his contract. There’s only one out there in the NBA and it belongs to Bradley Beal. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d like to lock that in as well. I do think we’re going to be hearing some silence from LeBron between now and the end of June as we watch what the Lakers do as a team.”
For now, the Lakers and the rest of the NBA world are in wait-and-see mode when it comes to LeBron.
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