Lakers celebrity LeBron James will as soon as once more make NBA historical past by enjoying in his twenty third NBA season.
James exercised his participant choice for $52.6 million to play for the Lakers throughout the 2025-26 season, his agent and CEO of Klutch Sports activities Wealthy Paul informed The Occasions on Sunday morning.
James, the NBA’s all-time main scorer, had been tied with Vince Carter for essentially the most seasons performed within the NBA at 22. This will probably be James’ eighth season with the Lakers.
James, 40, is 50 video games from breaking Corridor of Famer Robert Parish’s file for essentially the most video games performed within the common season.
James averaged 24.4 factors per recreation final season, 8.2 assists and seven.8 rebounds.
Fellow Laker Dorian Finney-Smith reportedly declined his $15.3-million participant choice and can pursue free company, an individual with data of his choice informed The Occasions. Finney-Smith, who’s coming off a robust season with the Lakers, is anticipated to be pursued by a number of groups. He may nonetheless return to the Lakers. ESPN was first to report Finney-Smith’s choice.
Final week, Austin Reaves declined the crew’s most supply of 4 years for $89 million, in response to an individual with data of the scenario.
Reaves, 27, nonetheless has two years left on his deal, for $13.9 million subsequent season and $14.9 million within the 2026-27 season, and he holds a participant choice for the final 12 months of his deal.
Lakers ahead LeBron James (23) and teammate Austin Reaves react to a referee’s name throughout a playoff recreation towards Minnesota.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Occasions)
He was third on the Lakers in scoring final season, averaging career-highs in scoring (20.2), assists (5.8), rebounds (4.5) and minutes per recreation (34.9). He shot 46% from the sector and 37.7% from three-point vary.
With the James and Smith participant choice questions resolved Sunday, the Lakers are targeted on filling out their roster. They added an athletic wing participant once they acquired Adou Thiero in a commerce with the Minnesota Timberwolves, who drafted him with the thirty sixth choose within the second spherical.
Essentially the most urgent want for the Lakers stays a middle, and so they’ll should look into free company or by way of commerce to accumulate one.
“As I said at the end of the year, we know one of the things we have to address is the center position and that’s clearly going to be one of our focuses as we begin the free-agency period,” Rob Pelinka, the Lakers’ president of basketball operations, informed Spectrum SportsNet after the second spherical of the draft Thursday. “So, we’re looking forward to just putting in the hard work and making sure we take care of all the needs on the roster to give [Lakers coach] JJ [Redick] the tools he needs for this team to be great next season.”
Lakers ahead LeBron James controls a steal as underneath strain from Timberwolves ahead Jaden McDaniels throughout Recreation 4 of an NBA playoff collection on the Goal Middle on April 27.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Occasions)
Whereas exercising his choice required a dedication from James, he continues to carefully monitor the strikes of a franchise that has been via sweeping modifications over the last 12 months.
The Lakers employed JJ Redick, a extensively revered basketball thoughts with no earlier head teaching expertise, and drafted James’ son Bronny.
The franchise later executed a blockbuster commerce, sending All-Star heart Anthony Davis to Dallas in change for All-Star guard Luka Doncic.
Redick helped lead the Lakers to the playoffs earlier than accidents and the shortage of a middle sealed the top of the crew’s season.
“I don’t know what the roster will look like. I don’t know where I stand right now, but I think whatever happens, I think JJ is gonna continue to grow,” James stated after the crew was eradicated from the playoffs. “Thought he had a hell of a rookie campaign for a rookie coach. And it’s a lot different being a rookie coach. It’s already hard being a rookie coach in the NBA. And it’s a hell of a lot harder being a rookie head coach coaching the Lakers. It’s a whole ’nother ballgame.
“And I thought he handled it extremely well. I thought he just learned every single day, held us accountable. He pushed us. I thought JJ and his coaching staff were great throughout the whole season. That was pretty cool.”
James wouldn’t decide to a call about his future shortly after the Lakers had been eradicated from the playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves, putting a tone much like his feedback after playoff collection losses the earlier two years.
“I don’t have an answer to that,” James stated to questions on his future. “Something I sit down with my family, my wife and my support group and kind of just talk through it and see what happens. And just have a conversation with myself on how long I want to continue to play.
“I don’t know the answer to that right now, to be honest.”
The Lakers delivered one other twist earlier this month, with Jeanie Buss and her household promoting majority management of the Lakers to Dodgers majority proprietor Mark Walter and TWG World funding group.
Paul informed ESPN that James resumed on-court basketball exercise this week after struggling a sprained MCL in his left knee throughout the playoffs and is watching how the Lakers construct across the 26-year-old Doncic.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Paul informed ESPN. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.
“We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what’s best for him.”
