In recent years, people have seriously speculated how soon LeBron James will withdraw from the NBA. This speculation has become louder this summer after exercising the player option for his contract for the 2025-26 season.
Some believe that there will be a strong way that this will be James’ Swan song in the league. But others seem to believe that he will continue to play afterwards, be it with the Los Angeles Lakers or another team.
An NBA manager says that he thinks if the Lakers do not win the NBA championship in the coming season or James’ production falls from a cliff, James will remain in the league after 2026.
About Lakers daily:
“I think LeBron plays one or two more seasons unless the Lakers will win all of this next year,” said the NBA manager. “Bryce [James] will be justified for the draft of 2026. There are some whisper that LeBron also wants to play with him.
“We will see what happens, but I just can’t see how LeBron retired after the next season. He is still too good as a player to just go away. Unless there is a huge decline in his production or the Lakers win the championship, I think LeBron plays 2026-27.”
While the Lakers have made some important squad upgrades this summer, most people do not currently consider them to be a championship candidate, which achieves an NBA title for an unlikely scenario this season.
The younger James will be a newcomer to the University of Arizona Wildcats in autumn. He stands 6-foot 6 and has sufficient sportiness, and depending on this season, he could have the potential as a NBA rotation player.
The other son of the older James, Bronny, is currently a member of the Lakers. Bronny James played in the G league last season as a rookie, even though he was mixed between the G league and the NBA, and some expect him to get a meaningful season in the big leagues in the coming season.
The 40-year-old superstar continued to play at his usual level during the 2024-25 campaign and was named both in the NBA All-Star game and the all-NBA second team. It should not surprise anyone if he appears at the same level again this autumn, winter and spring.
