LeBron James’ future with the Los Angeles Lakers has been in question in the last few months. The 4-time NBA champion has been rumored to leave L.A. after joining the team in 2018. He was able to win one championship during the bubble in 2020.
James picked up his player option for $52.6 million but remains without a contract extension with the Lakers. As of mid-August, there hasn’t been any information on whether the Lakers have offered him a contract.
Rob Pelinka has clarified that he wants James to retire as a Laker. However, this decision will ultimately come down to James, who must analyze whether he wants to play beyond the 2025-26 season. The Lakers staff seems to be under the impression that he will stay with the team for next season.
Will LeBron James Stay With the Lakers Beyond the 2025-26 Season?
James’ contract has a no-trade clause. If the Lakers had planned to trade him, this would have made it trickier. However, it seems like he will stay with the team after all and may even own up to a significant role on the roster. Recently, Lakers assistant coach Greg St. Jean spoke about James’ chemistry with Luka Dončić.
He said to BasketNews, “The idea of Luka having an opportunity to play in training camp with us is going to be critical, and getting this team to build their chemistry and work together. This season, we’re poised and excited to have a training camp together.”
“LeBron and Luka being able to spend more time together, we think, will be really positive for both of them and obviously our team,” he added.
St. Jean believes a preseason training camp will help the Lakers build chemistry on and off the court. This will help them bond and prepare for the most unexpected circumstances during the game, which was what happened when the Lakers were knocked out of the playoffs after losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round.
The fact that James and Dončić can participate in training camp together will also significantly boost the Lakers. They are the team’s primary offensive weapons, and it will help to have a rundown of JJ Redick’s plays.
- The Lakers have been eliminated consecutively in the first round, and it is about time they make a deep run in the postseason. Pelinka has signed Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart, who will both help with defense. The Lakers still don’t boast a championship-contending roster, with depth being a major issue.
Austin Reaves reportedly wants a contract worth the same as Tyler Herro’s, per @basketballtalk
“Reaves will be a free agent. There is zero chance he is picking up his $14.9 million player option, even if he plans to stay with the Lakers. Reaves reportedly wants to be paid in… pic.twitter.com/MVEM8Tlklw
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 13, 2025
Austin Reaves’ contract situation also remains unresolved. He reportedly wants to be paid between $30 million and $40 million per year, and the Lakers have yet to meet that price. It is likely that he will stay in L.A. since the front office admires Reaves greatly.
Mark Walter splashed the cash right after buying the franchise, signing Dončić to a three-year $165 million extension. Reports say that the Lakers have shifted from James to Dončić as the face of the franchise, which is quite interesting as well.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are among the teams linked to James and the Golden State Warriors. What James has in mind remains unknown, and retirement is also on the table. It would be interesting to see how his career turns out in the end, after an illustrious period that lasted more than two decades.
