LeBron James dribbles up the court
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LeBron James picked up his $52.6 million player option with the Los Angeles Lakers, taking his first step ahead to the 2025-26 NBA season. Despite that decision, speculation on his future remains.
Will he be a Laker next year? Will he move onto another destination? He’s reportedly weighing his options. On Wednesday, he sparked a basketball controversy.
James is nearing the end of his playing career. Based on conversations with his wife, retirement could come sooner rather than later.
“[Savannah] wants me to retire in the next year or so,” he said while at an offseason dinner in New York City. He also wants to win another title before calling it quits.
After picking up his option, James’s agent spoke on his future with the Lakers. It was more of an ultimatum than a vote of confidence that he’d retire in Los Angeles.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship. He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve have for eight years with Jeanie and Rob and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.
“We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive, and want what’s best for him.”
-Rich Paul
Why would he pick up the option if he didn’t want to stick with the team? The obvious answer is money – $52 million is a lot of dough.
Secondly, it maintains a no-trade clause, giving him full control of his future destination. He can still request to be dealt elsewhere.
That potential destination would likely be an NBA title contender. Cleveland fits the bill. Could he return home before retirement? He sparked speculation this week!
LeBron James wore a ‘Welcome Home’ hat while rumored to be golfing in Ohio.
Apparently LeBron James is golfing in the Cleveland area and posted a photo of himself wearing a hat that says, “Welcome Home.”
Cavs return in 2025? Would you want to see LeBron on the Cavs one last time? pic.twitter.com/WlV0VmvGcO
— The Dawgs – A Cleveland Browns Podcast (@thedawgspodcast) July 2, 2025
It could mean nothing. It could signal a desire to come back to Cleveland. We don’t know!
We do know, however, that the Cavs are a championship threat. They won 64 games in 2024-25 to lead the Eastern Conference, the most victories in a season since James was leading the charge.
Given his roots, motivation to return home is surely there for LeBron. Do the Cavs want him back, though? Not according to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports.
A lot of fans tried to link him to a return to Cleveland (league sources told NBC Sports the Cavaliers are not that interested, but let’s use them as a hypothetical): With a third team, a deal can be made if it’s LeBron for Darius Garland and Max Strus Why would the Cavs do that, giving up young players and getting 15 years older (and arguably worse) in the short term to rent LeBron for a year or two. And trading LeBron to Cleveland is a lot less complicated than most other destinations.
Rumors are flying. Much remains unclear. LeBron James is doing little to quiet the noise. Where will he end up?