LeBron James, Lakers
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LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.
LeBron James has opted into the final, $52.6 million year of his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2025-26 rather than opt out and renegotiate a new deal with more optionality moving forward.
That call in itself as an interesting decision in the context of his future career plans, and it isn’t the only news involving James’ future that broke on Sunday, June 29.
James has a no-trade clause in his current two-year deal, which means he will determine if he remains in Los Angeles or not for the entirety of next season. However, it’s highly possible that James could have gotten a no-trade clause included in a new one-plus-one contract with a player option in 2026-27. In doing so, he could have guaranteed himself a massive salary two years from now and full control of his career should he decide to play two more seasons.
James’ decision to leave money on the table and not protect himself beyond the upcoming campaign doesn’t necessarily mean he’s going to retire or play elsewhere after his age-41 season, but it clearly renders both outcomes more likely based on the preponderance of evidence.
Beyond that, someone recently recorded James making comments during a dinner in a New York City restaurant that his wife, Savannah James, wants him to retire sooner than later.
“Savannah wants me to [expletive] retire in the next year or so,” James said, per a video/audio recording posted by the “SportsCenter” X account.
The author will update this post.