The 2025-26 campaign isn’t over yet, but LeBron James‘ plans for what he’ll do once it’s done are already being widely speculated. League Insider Eric Pincus rounded up the top five things that the 41-year-old star could do, which include becoming a team owner.
LeBron James Could Headline a Las Vegas Expansion
During the All-Star weekend, James said that when he knows what his retirement plans are, then so, too, will everyone else. Since he hasn’t made an official decision, everyone else has continued to speculate.
Some think that he’s calling it quits, no matter the result of this season. Others think he’ll remain, and those who believe that are split between him staying in LA or taking his talents elsewhere.
Both of those things were included in Pincus’s list of things that James might do in the summer of 2026. However, he also mentioned the possibility of him remaining in the league in a different capacity, just not playing or coaching.
According to Pincus, there are rumors circulating that James will become a team owner. Specifically, he might become the team owner of a new NBA expansion team based in Las Vegas. These rumors have also suggested that Rich Paul, James’s agent, will sell Klutch Sports to join in on this venture.
There’s increasing buzz that LeBron James could retire and pivot into ownership as the face of a Las Vegas expansion team, with Rich Paul potentially selling Klutch Sports to help finance the bid, per @EricPincus
(h/t @TheNBABase ) pic.twitter.com/uj13q2C9eE
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 25, 2026
While it’s been talked about for a while, the league has not yet confirmed when an expansion will occur. Adam Silver said in December that the league is looking into it, with Seattle and Las Vegas being the prime candidates for a new market.
During the All-Star break, the topic of league expansion was discussed once again. This time, Silver said that this will be discussed further with the Board of Governors this March. He also added that any upcoming expansions don’t have to be limited to just two teams.
A more pressing matter for James and the Lakers right now is their current standing. Currently, they are only two games ahead of the Phoenix Suns, who are seventh in the Western Conference.
If the Suns manage to overtake the Lakers and keep them from regaining the sixth spot, James and company have to fight to stay alive in the play-in tournament. If they somehow fail to win, then LA will miss the postseason for the first time since 2022. Of course, there’s no guarantee any of this will happen, but the Lakers need to fight hard to keep themselves afloat.
