Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is exercising his $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul told ESPN on Sunday.
James, the NBA's career scoring leader, wants to compete for a championship next season and potentially beyond and will be closely monitoring the Lakers' moves and whether the team is positioning itself this offseason to field a title-contending roster, Paul said.
"LeBron wants to compete for a championship," Paul told 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."
James, 40, is entering a record-setting 23rd NBA season and has said he remains uncertain about whether he has one campaign left or wants to play multiple more years.
James, who has a no-trade clause in his contract, is 50 games away from breaking Robert Parish's record for most career regular-season games. Next season he will break a tie with Vince Carter for the most seasons played in NBA history.
It remains to be seen whether James will reach season No. 24 or beyond. James went out to dinner in New York this past week with his wife, Savannah, Miami Heat big man Kevin Love and his wife, Kate, and other confidants, and one of the dinner guests posted a snippet of the night to Instagram where James can be heard saying, "[Savannah] wants me to f---ing retire in the next year or so."
As Paul laid out, it remains to be seen how much of his playing future will remain with the Lakers -- despite what James has said in the past.
In February 2024, after the Warriors inquired about trading for James before the Lakers, through Paul, told Golden State they were not interested, James expressed his desire to continue playing for the purple and gold.
"I am a Laker, and I'm happy and been very happy being a Laker the last six years and hopefully it stays that way," James said.
A few months later, Los Angeles drafted James' eldest son, Bronny James, with the No. 55 pick to set up the historic father-son tandem, then signed LeBron James to a two-year, $104 million contract extension in July 2024.
James is a four-time NBA champion, four-time Finals MVP and four-time league MVP, and he has made 21 All-Star teams and 21 All-NBA squads; he is also the first 40-year-old to make an All-NBA team. He joined the Lakers in 2018 and led the franchise to the 2020 NBA title and the 2023 Western Conference finals.
He averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game this past season, ending his record 20-year streak of averaging at least 25 points per game. He was one of three players to average 25 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists from Dec. 30 to the end of the season, along with Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic.
James returned to on-court basketball activity this week after suffering a sprained MCL in his left knee in Game 5 of the Lakers' first-round exit to the Minnesota Timberwolves. James averaged 25.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.8 blocks in 40.8 minutes per game against the Timberwolves.
Following the loss to Minnesota, he spoke openly about the disappointment of not having a chance to compete for a fifth title.
"Every season that I did not make it to the Finals or did not win the championship has been a disappointment," James said. "So it'd be the same for me. It'd be the same offseason of disappointment and unfulfillment, having an opportunity to play longer and give yourself an opportunity to play for the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Nothing changes for me."
James was asked about the Lakers' glaring need to add a center, after coach JJ Redick went away from starting big man Jaxson Hayes and finished the Minnesota series with a small-ball lineup, and refrained from expounding on the subject. James said he should keep his thoughts to himself, referring to the Lakers' trade of Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks on Feb. 1, just nine days after Davis told ESPN, "I think we need another big."
"No comment," James said. "I never say that. 'Cause my guy AD said what he needed, and he was gone the following week. So I got no comment."
The Lakers are pursuing a center via free agency or trade, while forward Dorian Finney-Smith declined his player option Sunday, sources said.
ESPN's Dave McMenamin contributed to this report.