After the Los Angeles Lakers’ season ended in a disappointing sweep at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder (albeit without injured superstar Luka Dončić), one of the major talking points is the future of LeBron James, who is an unrestricted free agent.
At 41 years old, retirement is a very real possibility. However, James continues to laugh in the face of Father Time, so he may have one more year in him, especially since he just averaged 23.2 points, 7.3 assists, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game during the playoffs.
Is a reunion possible? A Hollywood retirement tour? A move to Broadway? Let’s review James’ possibilities.
5 Options for LeBron James As Lakers Superstar Hits Free Agency
Retirement
Let’s get this out of the way first, as there’s no guarantee that James will play next season.
“With my future, I don’t know, honestly. It’s, obviously it’s still fresh from, obviously losing [the series]. And I don’t know. I don’t know what the future holds for me,” James told reporters after the Lakers were eliminated…
“I think for me it’s about the process. If I can commit to still being in love with the process of showing up to the arena five-and-a-half hours before a game to start preparing for a game, giving everything I got, diving for loose balls and doing everything that you know that it takes to go out and play… [For an] 11 o’clock practice, I’m there at 8 o’clock preparing my body, preparing my mind, preparing to practice, to put the work in. So I think for me, I’ve always been in love with the process… so I think that would be a big factor.”
How much more can James accomplish? He’s done it all. If he never plays another minute in the NBA, he’d be on the league’s Mount Rushmore with some considering him the greatest of all time. He’s won four NBA championships and is the league’s all-time leading scorer. His career is already unprecedented, as nobody else has played 23 seasons in the NBA — let alone at his level.
For years, James’ top goal was to share the court with his oldest son, Bronny. Now, he has done that too, even playing alongside him in multiple playoff games.
Recently, James said that his next step will be to “recalibrate with my family and talk with them.” It seems unlikely that James will retire given that he just looked excellent in the playoffs, but it can’t be ruled out completely.
Los Angeles Lakers
According to The Athletic’s Dan Woike and Sam Amick, “Both James and the Lakers, according to team and league sources, have interest in continuing their partnership.” They also point out that both Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss hope James chooses to end his career as a Laker.
With a few tweaks, namely an upgrade at center, this is very much a championship contender. Plus, James was happy to play a tertiary role behind Austin Reaves and Dončić, the latter of whom had an MVP-caliber season.
Bronny is also a factor, as he will still be under contract with the Lakers next season. LeBron recently raved about he and Bronny scoring 10 straight points in the first round against the Houston Rockets, saying he was “super appreciative” of that special moment and describing it as something out of a Hollywood script. If he wants to continue playing with Bronny, he can only do that in Los Angeles (barring a trade).
This offseason, the Lakers’ top priority will be to bring back Reaves, but they would also reportedly like a reunion with James if possible. A source close to James told ESPN, “It’s up to the Lakers. He loves it in LA.”
James earned $52,627,153 with the Lakers this season, but he would likely earn less next season if he returns. However, Los Angeles can still offer more than many of the teams being linked to James, giving the Lakers another edge when it comes to retaining the King.
Cleveland Cavaliers
James may feel the storybook ending would be to return to his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. They are the team that drafted him and helped make him a star, and he helped them win their first NBA championship in 2016. James will probably always be remembered as a Cavalier first and foremost.
This wouldn’t be the first time that James reunited with the Cavs, as this would be his third stint in Cleveland. Does he still feel he has unfinished business there or has he closed that chapter? It helps that the loaded Cavs are a contender and currently fighting to reach the Eastern Conference Finals, led by Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, and Evan Mobley.
Woike and Amick note that Cleveland would be among the teams to watch for James if he feels the Lakers are moving in another direction. However, the Cavaliers already have an NBA-high $218,072,505 on their books for next season, so James would likely need to take a significant paycut to join Cleveland.
Golden State Warriors
According to ESPN and the aforementioned The Athletic article, the Golden State Warriors have emerged as a realistic destination for James.
James and Stephen Curry developed a “bromance” while leading Team USA to a gold medal in the Olympics. LeBron also has a close friendship with two other members of the Warriors, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler III.
The Warriors are looking for a way to make one last championship push after inking Steve Kerr to a new two-year contract. After many NBA Finals battles with the Warriors, it would be fun to see James team up with Curry and Green as the group tries to win one last ring — this time together.
Like the Cavs, the Warriors have a hefty payroll for next season, with $182,837,620 already committed. This would be another situation where James would have to make a financial sacrifice.
New York Knicks
This scenario feels more media-driven. However, there’s buzz about the New York Knicks being a possibility if, once again, he’s willing to take a massive paycut since the Knicks already have $202,476,948 on their books for next season.
ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins recently floated this possibility, saying, “I think he should go to New York.” He argued that James could sign for the veteran’s minimum, pointing out that he’d offset this by making way more from endorsements and off-court ventures.
Stephen A. Smith has also said that the Knicks are his best free-agent option since they are a championship contender and one of the biggest brands in the world, so James could pocket more money there even if he’s on a bargain contract.
As it stands, the Knicks are obliterating teams in the Eastern Conference playoffs and are strong favorites to reach the NBA Finals. The Knicks fit the bill as a title contender, and the East offers a significantly easier pathway to the NBA Finals than the West.
Also, James has always raved about New York over the years. As a keen basketball historian, James has great reverence for the Knicks’ historic organization, and he has always said that Madison Square Garden is his favorite arena to play in.
Furthermore, James has relationships with Knicks head coach Mike Brown (his former Cavaliers head coach), president Leon Rose (his former agent), and executive vice president William Wesley (a trusted advisor who was in James’ inner circle).
There are other outside possibilities for James, such as the Los Angeles Clippers, which would keep him in Los Angeles and would allow him to sign a larger contract. However, it would be hard to envisage him in another L.A. uniform other than the Lakers. As it currently stands, the five options above seem the most likely for James.
