LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers had an interesting 2024-25 season. They stunned the NBA world by trading Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Dončić, finished as the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed with a 50-32 record, but they got eliminated in five games by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
James remains the face of the Lakers, but the 22-year veteran has only one year left on his contract, and it’s a player option. One NBA insider recently talked about James and whether the superstar will exercise the option or decline it.
Insider Believes LeBron James Will Accept Player Option
The Lakers’ playoff run ended early, partly because they didn’t have a true center to match up against Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert. Los Angeles attempted to trade for Mark Williams, but the Charlotte Hornets’ big man failed his physical, and the trade was rescinded.
At 40 years old, James is still one of the league’s best players. He likely only has a few years of playing left and wants to be sure he’s on a contending team. Acquiring Dončić will keep the Lakers competitive no matter how much longer James sticks around, but what else does the team need to do to make sure James opts in?
James signed a two-year, $101.3 million contract to stay in Los Angeles during the 2024 offseason. The contract came with a 2025 player option worth just over $52.6 million, and it makes sense for James to accept that amount.
ESPN’s senior NBA insider Shams Charania appeared on a May 27 edition of “The Pat McAfee Show” and discussed James’ future in Los Angeles. He was asked, “What is the latest update on LeBron, and what are the Lakers going to do this offseason?”
Charania responded, “I’m told he’s likely to opt in. He’s got a player option, about $54 million, $57 million. He’s got a massive player option. That’s likely. That’s the plan. But again, his option date is June 29th, so he still has about a month to figure that out. There’s going to be some hard conversations that are gonna happen between him, the Lakers.”
“I’m told LeBron James is likely to opt in..
He’s got a massive player option and that’s the plan..
He still has about a month to figure that out”@ShamsCharania #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/8mzUsMCU9r
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 27, 2025
“Seeing what this team looks like, because LeBron James, whether he plays one more season or a few more seasons, he wants to be in a competitive environment. … He’s probably going to opt in, because the option is so big, and that gives you flexibility to figure out do you extend off that number or this is the final year.”
Charania pointed out how the 2025-26 season will be big for the Lakers, especially with James approaching his 23rd season in the league and the festivities of All-Star week taking place in Los Angeles.
“It’s Year 23 for No. 23. They have All-Star weekend in Los Angeles, so it’s very storybook if that’s the way it goes. But that’s a decision he’s got to make. The big question for the Lakers, though, are they going to find a center? Rob Pelinka, their president and general manager, that’s his biggest focus this offseason.”
The four-time MVP was still productive this past season at Age 40. He was named an All-Star for the 21st straight year, averaging 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds. He can’t carry the workload of being the top option for a team at this stage of his career, but he’s still a valuable piece for a team with championship aspirations.
