The [Los Angeles Lakers](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/los-angeles-lakers) are on the brink of elimination. The Lakers are down 0-3 to the defending champs, the [Oklahoma City Thunder](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder).
While the Lakers have done enough in every game to keep it close, it is clear the Thunder are head and shoulders above them in every department.
The Lakers' season could end on Monday, and if so, the focus will immediately shift to their superstar forward, LeBron James. The end is near for the 41-year-old superstar, and it is still unclear if this season will be his final in the league.
That will be the biggest question of the night and for the coming weeks, if James doesn't make it clear that he will return for the 2026-27 season.
Although that may be the case, another looming question is whether, if he does return for an unprecedented 24th season, will it be with the Lakers?
Uncertainty grows around LeBron James and the Lakers with the offseason approaching
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James is set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and if he decides to keep playing, it's not certain he will play for the purple and gold. There are a handful of teams that will be interested in James, despite his age.
The 22-time All-Star has shown that he still has plenty of gas left in the tank; it's really only a matter of whether he wants to keep going. As things stand, that is unclear.
James is in his eighth season in Los Angeles and only has one title to show for. More often than not, the Lakers have failed to build a championship-level roster year in and year out.
The four-time champion and his team have made it very clear they want to compete for a title. The Lakers themselves have a big summer ahead, and if they can't build a title contender in the coming months, James could be as good as gone.
There are still a ton of question marks surrounding James and the Lakers, and those will only intensify this offseason.
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