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Jun 30, 2026

LeBron James Makes Decision on NBA Future

LeBron James Makes Decision on NBA Future

Ryan Phillips|
LeBron James will not be retiring this summer.
LeBron James will not be retiring this summer. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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Los Angeles LakersCleveland CavaliersMiami Heat

LeBron James is not done yet.

The 41-year-old superstar has decided to play another season in the NBA, which will extend his run to a 24th campaign, a league record. However, he will not suit up for the Lakers next year. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Tuesday ahead of free agency’s official opening that James had informed Los Angeles he would play elsewhere.

BREAKING: LeBron James will continue his NBA career for the 2026-27 season and has informed the Los Angeles Lakers that the franchise can move on without him because he will play elsewhere, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/zzVk6xUVF1

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2026

During the 2025–26 season, James averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 1.2 steals in 33.2 minutes over the course of 60 games. He dialed things up in the playoffs, as he bumped his averages to 23.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game. L.A. was bounced from the playoffs in the second round after being swept by the Thunder.

It’s not clear where James will decide to play next season. There are plenty of options open to him, including a third tour of duty with the Cavaliers. But the most recent reports have linked The King to Golden State, where the Warriors are very interested in teaming James up with Steph Curry like they did on Team USA back in 2024. Draymond Green declined his player option for the upcoming season to try to make this reality.

A convincing case can be made that James is the greatest player of all time and the fact that he’s still an impactful player at his age is remarkable.

LeBron James career trajectory

LeBron James raised the Larry O'Brien Trophy at the  rally following the Cavaliers championship parade in 2016.
LeBron James delivered the Cavaliers their first championship during his second stop with the franchise. | Scott Heckel/Canton Repository / USA TODAY NETWORK

Cleveland made James the No. 1 pick in the 2003 NBA draft, and he played with the franchise through the 2009-10 season. The Cavs reached the NBA Finals in 2007, where they were swept by the Spurs. He left the franchise in 2010 after repeated postseason failures.

Entering the 2026–27 season, James is the NBA’s all time leader in more than a dozen regular season categories, and owns nearly every individual postseason record.

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