Multiple NBA front offices believe LeBron James intends to suit up for at least one more year, according to ESPN insider Shams Charania.
Speaking Tuesday on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Charania said several teams have contacted James’s representatives in recent days. “The expectation is that he’s going to play another season,” Charania noted, adding that it remains unclear whether that season will be with the Los Angeles Lakers.
James, 41, is on track to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time since he left the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Lakers in 2018. League sources still view a new deal in Los Angeles—or a third stint in Cleveland—as the likeliest outcomes, but the New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors have also surfaced in speculative conversations.
The four-time NBA champion guided the Lakers to the 2020 title and a Western Conference finals appearance in 2023. This past regular season he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists over 60 games.
Los Angeles was swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the playoffs. Asked afterward about possible retirement, James said, “I don’t know what the future holds for me.”
For now, several franchises are operating under the assumption that his future includes at least one more NBA campaign.
Source: Hoops Wire
