Longtime star forward LeBron James has decided to play a record-setting 24th NBA season in 2026/27, but he won’t be returning to the Lakers. James informed the Lakers on Tuesday that they can move on without him, since he’ll be playing elsewhere, agent Rich Paul tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
According to Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link), James hasn’t yet decided where he’ll be playing next season. Free agency doesn’t technically open until 5:00 pm Central time on Tuesday, so LeBron can’t commit to another team before that time.
The Warriors have been most frequently cited as the biggest threat to lure the four-time MVP out of Los Angeles. Reporting on Monday night indicated that Golden State is “far and away” the outside suitor with the most interest in the 41-year-old, who is close with Draymond Green and enjoyed collaborating with Stephen Curry and head coach Steve Kerr as part of Team USA at the 2024 Olympics.
The Warriors may be able to offer James the full $15MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception, though that will depend on what sort of contract Green signs and what other roster moves the club makes.
Sources tell Anthony Slater of ESPN (Twitter link) that the team’s decision-makers have been given no indication Golden State will be James’ destination and that it appears some level of recruitment will be necessary. Green and Curry are expected to be involved in that pitch, tweets Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.
The Cavaliers also have interest in reuniting again with James, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link). Cleveland was the league’s highest-spending team in 2026/27 and would have to shed some salary in order to offer more than the veteran’s minimum.
Shams Charania of ESPN said during a TV appearance that James’ other former team, the Heat, could also be in play. They don’t currently have the full $15MM mid-level exception available, but could open it up if they’re able to trade Nikola Jovic.
Charania added during the same TV spot that James’ decision will be driven by where he thinks he’d be happiest, rather than which team offers the most money (Twitter video link).
James initially joined the Lakers as a free agent in 2018 and has been with the organization for the past eight seasons, which is his longest consecutive stint with any team since he entered the league as the first overall pick in 2003. LeBron spent his first seven NBA seasons in Cleveland, then returned to the Cavaliers for another four seasons from 2014-18 following a four-year stretch with Miami from 2010-14.
During his time in Los Angeles, James earned eight All-Star nods and made seven All-NBA teams, averaging 25.9 points, 7.9 assists, and 7.7 rebounds per game on .513/.356/.730 shooting across 479 total regular season contests. He also became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on that list in February 2023.
While James is no longer putting up the types of numbers he was during his prime years, he remained highly productive in 2025/26, his age-41 season, averaging 20.9 PPG, 7.2 APG, and 6.1 RPG while shooting 51.5% from the floor. He has also remained relatively durable into his 40s — he missed time due to sciatica last fall, but still appeared in 60 games in 2025/26 after playing in at least 70 in each of the previous two seasons.
Although the Lakers advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs just three times in LeBron’s eight seasons, they won a championship in 2020 in the COVID-19 “bubble” in Orlando, with James and former teammate Anthony Davis leading the way.
According to Charania (Twitter link), James wanted to inform the Lakers of his intentions before free agency began out of respect for their time together. That will allow Los Angeles to conduct its offseason business without having to set aside a chunk of cap room for LeBron’s potential return.
The Lakers expressed to James that they wanted him back, Charania adds (via Twitter). However, a source close to LeBron tells Dave McMenamin (Twitter link) that the veteran star felt it was “time to move on.”
“LeBron James is one of the greatest athletes in history,” the Lakers said in a statement (Twitter link). “We will always be thankful for his eight years with the Lakers — including the title he led us to in 2020 under the toughest imaginable circumstances and the countless records he broke in purple and gold. We wish him all the best in the future, both on the court and off. He will always be a cherished part of the Lakers family.”
It certainly sounds like the Lakers would’ve been willing to bring back James, with head of basketball operations Rob Pelinka repeatedly expressing hope in recent years that LeBron would decide to finish his career in Los Angeles. However, the team has also made it clear since acquiring Luka Doncic in a stunning deal at the 2025 trade deadline that the 27-year-old Luka, not LeBron, is at the center of the franchise’s plans going forward.
With that in mind, the Lakers are considered likely to use their newfound cap flexibility to pursue the type of “A-list center” that Doncic is known to covet. According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, the club is likely to be very involved in the restricted free agencies of Pistons big man Jalen Duren and Jazz big man Walker Kessler.
Detroit and Utah have leverage in that process, since they can match any offer sheet their RFAs sign, but Duren and Kessler are both said to be unhappy with how their negotiations have played out so far. The two big men are expected to meet with other suitors, including the Lakers, near the start of free agency.
It’s worth noting that previous reporting suggested the Lakers would likely welcome the opportunity to discuss a sign-and-trade deal with Cleveland involving James and center Jarrett Allen, though it’s unclear whether that will be something the Cavaliers are open to.
Meanwhile, there have been rumblings in the last day or two about the possibility of the Warriors pursuing a trade for Davis in an effort to entice James to choose Golden State in free agency. However, recent reporting has suggested no progress has been made on that front and that the Warriors remain interested in adding LeBron without acquiring the Wizards big man, rather than viewing the duo as a package deal.
