LeBron James is not retiring, but he is leaving the Lakers — and he’ll have to take a pay cut
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Skip to main content NBALeBron James is not retiring, but he is leaving the Lakers — and he’ll have to take a pay cut
By Ryan Anderson Published June 30, 2026, 2:56 p.m. ETSee more of our coverage in your search results.
Add The California Post on GoogleLeBron James is done with the Lakers. What comes next is the real free agency mystery: Where he lands, and what kind of contract it takes to get him there.
James has informed the Lakers that they can move on without him because he intends to play elsewhere during the 2026–27 season, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. That removes the cleanest financial path from the equation.
James picked up his $52.6 million option for 2025–26, but for the upcoming season James and his agent Rich Paul were reportedly expected to ask the Lakers for a max deal.
Now, his next contract depends almost entirely on destination.
The Golden State Warriors remain the odds on favorite, but certainly not the richest. Draymond Green’s decision to decline his $27.6 million player option created a path for Golden State to chase James, but the most realistic direct offer would be the non-taxpayer mid-level exception (MLE), roughly $15 million annually.
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That would be a massive drop from the $52.6 million James made last season, but the appeal is obvious. Golden State could offer James a chance to join Stephen Curry, Green and Steve Kerr for one last championship swing. If the Warriors can also find a way to trade for Anthony Davis, the basketball pitch becomes even louder.
The Cavaliers present a similar contract situation, but a different kind of appeal.
Cleveland reportedly has interest in a second reunion with James, and the emotional case is easy to understand. He could finish his career where it began, return to the franchise he delivered a championship to in 2016 and give the Cavaliers another elite playmaker for a roster that already has star power.
Financially, though, Cleveland would also have work to do. The Cavaliers are not expected to have a clean max-salary slot waiting for James. A reunion would likely require either a mid-level-type deal or other roster maneuvering to create enough space.
If James wants to return home for sentimental and competitive reasons, Cleveland makes sense. If he wants top dollar, it becomes more complicated.
More coverage on LeBron James
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Miami is another wild card but another with room to offer an MLE contract. The Heat have history with James and a win-now infrastructure, especially after building around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. But, like Golden State and Cleveland, Miami’s best pitch would be based more on title contention than maximum salary.
That leaves James with a few clear choices.
He could chase the biggest possible paycheck from a team with cap space, Chicago or Brooklyn are among the few teams that possess the actual cap space to offer a max contract, but that kind of destination does not clearly offer the championship runway he is seeking.
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Or he could accept a steep discount — possibly in the $15 million range — to join a contender built to maximize what may be the final season of his career.
James is still productive enough to be a difference-maker. He averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds last season, then raised his production in the playoffs.
But his next contract will not be about market value in the traditional sense.
It will be about priorities.
If LeBron wants the most money, the field narrows. If he wants the best ending, the Warriors, Cavaliers and Heat all have a case.
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- 6/30/26
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REPORT: Serial Killer's Therapist Allegedly Practiced For Years Without A License, Faces Felony Charges
USREPORT: Serial Killer’s Therapist Allegedly Practiced For Years Without A License, Faces Felony Charges
(Photo by James Carbone-Pool/Getty Images)
Christine Sellers Contributor June 30, 2026 3:49 PM ET June 30, 2026 3:49 PM ET Christine Sellers Contributor Font Size:A serial killer’s therapist reportedly practiced clinical social work in New York for years without a license and faces felony charges, prosecutors said.
Alison Winter, serial killer Rex Heuermann’s therapist, received $60,000 in reimbursement payments for insurance claims from 2018 to 2024 without having a clinical social work license, Newsday reported, citing prosecutors. Over $50,000 was allegedly billed via Cigna. The insurance company reportedly requires masters-level clinicians who work independently to have a state license in order to be part of their network. Winter also obtained reimbursement payments via UnitedHealthcare and Medicare, according to court documents.
Winter obtained a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Adelphi University in 1999, the school told Newsday. However, a verification search of the New York State Education Department’s Office of the Professions does not generate a license for Winter under the Master Social Worker category.
Gilgo Beach serial’s therapist didn’t have a license to practice, bombshell report claims https://t.co/dKXpwnmEEB pic.twitter.com/UIXQ7B3ttI
— New York Post (@nypost) June 30, 2026
Prosecutors charged Winter with grand larceny in the second degree, grand larceny in the third degree, scheme to defraud, and 14 counts of unauthorized practice of a profession, a Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office (SCDAO) spokeswoman told the Daily Caller. She was already facing the felony charges when she heard Heuermann’s confession in which he allegedly admitted to killing eight women, Newsday reported.
Melissa McCardle, a licensed clinical social worker and dean of the school of education and human services at Molloy University in Rockville Centre, reacted to Winter’s charges, according to Newsday.
“Nobody in New York State can practice psychotherapy as a social worker without a license,” McCardle said. Psychotherapists who obtain a Master’s Degree in Social Work must take a licensure exam and go through three years’ employment under the supervision of a licensed professional before applying for certification to practice by themselves, she added. (RELATED: Cheek Swab Taken From Wife Of Alleged Gilgo Beach Serial Killer Matches DNA On Victim’s Remains: REPORT)
Winter appears to have operated a psychotherapy practice in Sayville, New York, according to Healthline. An exterior sign with the name of the practice has since been taken down and the practice is labeled by Google as “permanently closed,” according to Newsday.
Winter has garnered national attention for appearing in a Peacock documentary series about Heuermann’s case, the outlet reported. Heuermann was sentenced to life without parole for the murders of eight women in Gilgo Beach between 1993 and 2010 on June 17.
Her next court date is set for July 21, the SCDAO told the Caller.
Exclusive | New details of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s rehearsal dinner revealed ahead of MSG wedding
Exclusive | Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce rehearsal dinner details for MSG wedding revealed- News
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New details of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s rehearsal dinner revealed ahead of MSG wedding
By Joe Marino and Eric Todisco Published June 30, 2026, 3:22 p.m. ETSee more of our coverage in your search results.
Add Page Six on GoogleTaylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s rehearsal dinner will be held at the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, Page Six can confirm.
Sources told us that the theater is seen as a secure location that will help avoid attention from paparazzi.
Page Six has reached out to MSG for comment.
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The Infosys Theater is a 5,600-seat entertainment venue located inside the iconic New York City-based arena.
The theater has hosted performances by music icons like Elton John, Diana Ross, Bob Dylan and Kanye West and tapings of “Wheel of Fortune” and the Daytime Emmys.
It’s also been the stage for pivotal sporting events like the NBA Draft from 2001 to 2010.
Swift has never performed at the Infosys Theater, though she has put on concerts inside the main MSG arena.
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Page Six previously confirmed Swift and Kelce, both 36, will be hosting an intimate rehearsal dinner with around 100 of their close family and friends inside MSG on July 2.
The next day, the couple will allegedly have between 1,000 and 2,000 guests at their larger wedding bash in the arena.
We also heard Swift and Kelce are having a massive castle built inside a garden for the July 3 nuptials.
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The A-list guest list includes Selena Gomez, Zoë Kravitz, Ed Sheeran, Karlie Kloss, Suki Waterhouse, Gigi Hadid and more, according to our sources.
Another insider shared that Stevie Nicks and Tim McGraw are set to perform at the bash.
Ahead of the multi-day event, various deliveries were made to the venue, with some boxes being labeled “Garden Party.”
On Tuesday, a red carpet was rolled out on MSG’s entrance steps — and then removed — by workers .
An employee confirmed to Page Six the decor is for a “wedding.”
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The “Style” singer and the Kansas City Chiefs tight end got engaged in August 2025 after two years of dating.
They allegedly picked MSG as their wedding venue instead of Rhode Island — where Swift owns a massive $18 million mansion — due to privacy reasons.
The couple also changed their wedding plans after realizing they wanted to invite a lot more people than they thought, our sources said.
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- 6/30/26
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