LeBron James opts into Lakers contract amid retirement, trade rumors

UPI

2 days ago

1 of 5 | Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (L) is set to become the first player in NBA history to play for 23 seasons. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
June 30 (UPI) -- LeBron James opted into the $52.6 million player option in his contract to remain with the Los Angeles Lakers next season, agent Rich Paul said.
Paul announced James' decision Sunday night in an interview with ESPN. When he takes the court next season, the Lakers' No. 23 will set an NBA record for the most seasons played -- 23.
Although James will again be under contract with the Lakers, Paul told ESPN that his client wants to play for a contender and suggested that a move to another team -- potentially through a trade -- remains a possibility.
"LeBron wants to compete for a championship," Paul told ESPN. "He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all.
"We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with [Lakers owner] Jeanie Buss and [president and general manager] Rob Pelinka and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.
"We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what's best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what's best for him."
James, 40, said in December that he believes he could retain his elite playing level through age 47, but would retire before then. He was recorded on social media last week, while out with his wife, Savannah, saying that she wants him to "retire in the next year or so."
He told reporters in May that he didn't know how long he would extend his Hall of Fame career, citing that he didn't "know what the [Lakers] roster will look like."
Center Jaxson Hayes is among Lakers players set to hit free agency next week. Sources told The Athletic and ESPN on Sunday that forward Dorian Finney-Smith, who joined the Lakers in a midseason trade, declined his player option for 2025-26.
The Lakers also announced earlier this month that Mark Walter was entering an agreement to acquire majority ownership in the team from the Buss family.
James, who joined the Lakers with a four-year, $154 million contract in 2018, appeared in 419 games through his first seven seasons with the Western Conference franchise. He made the playoffs five times during that span, including their title-winning run in 2019-20.
James averaged 24.4 points, his fewest since his rookie season, over 70 appearances in 2024-25. He also logged 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game for the Lakers, who went 50-32, but suffered through a first-round playoff exit.
The four-time champion, four-time MVP and 21-time All-Star and 21-time All-NBA selection, who broke the NBA scoring record in 2023, is closing in on several other major benchmarks, including moves up the all-time assists, rebounds, steals and 3-pointers leaderboards.
With his 2025-26 player option included, James will have made more than $580 million in on-court salary for his NBA career.
LeBron James' career: NBA, championships, records
LeBron James when he was a high school senior playing basketball at the James A. Rhodes Arena in Akron, Ohio, on February 14, 2003. James signed his first NBA contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers that same year. Photo by Tom Cammett/UPI | License Photo