An NBA executive told Lakers Daily that LeBron James may retire after the 2025-26 season if the Los Angeles Lakers win the championship. The source suggested that otherwise, James is likely to continue playing for at least one more year.
James, who will turn 41 next offseason, will become an unrestricted free agent for the first time since 2018. He has exercised a player option for the second year of his current two-year, $104 million contract.
The executive noted that James’ son, Bryce James, will be eligible for the 2026 NBA draft. Some believe LeBron may want to continue playing to share the court with his second son.
Despite speculation about retirement, the executive said, “I just can’t see LeBron retiring after next season. He’s still too good of a player to just walk away.” The source added that a championship could be the deciding factor in his choice.
James has continued to set records during the 2024–25 season. He surpassed 50,000 career points across the regular season and playoffs on March 4, 2025. He also passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for second on the all-time games played list on April 9.
This past season, LeBron became only the seventh player to reach 2,500 career three-pointers.
James’ 2024–25 campaign also saw him become the oldest player to score 40+ points in a game at 40 years and 38 days, joining Michael Jordan as the only players to achieve 40+ points at 40 or older.
The Lakers’ roster includes LeBron alongside Bronny James, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and DeAndre Ayton. LeBron and Bronny made history on October 22 as the first father-son duo to play in an NBA game together.
