Dave McMenaminMay 12, 2026, 02:59 PM ET
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Lakers and NBA reporter for ESPN.
Covered the Lakers and NBA for ESPNLosAngeles.com from 2009-14, the Cavaliers from 2014-18 for ESPN.com and the NBA for NBA.com from 2005-09.
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EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- If LeBron James decides he wants to extend his career to a 24th season next year, the Los Angeles Lakers would love to have him back, Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka said Tuesday.
"We probably haven't seen a player that has honored the game to the extent that he's honored the game," Pelinka said as part of the team's annual exit interviews with reporters. "He's given so much to his teammates, to this organization. And the thing we want to do more than anything else is honor him back."
After the Lakers' 115-110 Game 4 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday to end their playoff run with a second-round sweep, James said he would "recalibrate" with his family over the next several weeks to decide if he wants to continue playing or retire.
Pelinka said the Lakers will be patient with James' process as he enters into unrestricted free agency.
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"The first order of business there is allowing him to spend the time he needs to decide what his next steps are," Pelinka said. "Does he want to play another year in the NBA? And that'll be [decided through] family time, I think time with his inner circle. And we just want to honor that for him."
James, who signed with the Lakers in 2018, just finished his eighth season with the franchise -- his longest consecutive stint with any of the three teams he's played for, including the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat -- and was named to the All-Star team as a 41-year-old.
"Of course, any team, including ours, would love to have LeBron James on their roster," Pelinka said. "That's a blessing in itself just with what he does."
Austin Reaves, the second-longest tenured Laker behind James, will also become a free agent this summer.
L.A. signed him in 2021 after he went undrafted out of college and he blossomed into a talented scorer and playmaker. Reaves, who turns 28 later this month, averaged career highs in points per game (23.3) and rebounds (4.7), along with 5.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game.
Pelinka also expressed strong interest in re-signing Reaves this offseason.
"He started his journey here as a Laker and has made it very clear to us that he wants his journey to continue as a Laker," Pelinka said. "And we feel the same way. We want his odyssey to continue to unfold in the purple and gold. ... Both sides have made it abundantly clear that we want to work something out where he continues his prolific career here."