It’s unlikely that LeBron James actually retires from basketball this offseason, but his basketball career could be coming to an end soon. He has played in the NBA for 22 years. Once he starts his 23rd season, he’ll be the record-holder for most NBA seasons played.
If he retires soon, it likely won’t be due to poor play. He was named All-NBA Third Team this season and continues to be an impact player for the Los Angeles Lakers. One player who doesn’t want to see James go anytime soon is rookie guard Dalton Knecht.
He’s hoping the future Hall of Famer could play for another decade, and he wants to be alongside him.
“He said he can play another five, 10 years,” Knecht said of James, per TMZ. “So, me and ‘Bron could run it for another five, 10 years. Why not?”
Knecht nearly had his run with James cut short when the Lakers initially planned to trade him to the Charlotte Hornets in a deal for Mark Williams. The trade fell through due to a failed physical, but Knecht wasn’t able to get a big role in the rotation after the failed trade. If he stays on the team next season, he should have a chance to play a lot more minutes with James, in what could be his last season.
James Would Be No. 1 Free Agent if He Declines Player Option
James has a number of big decisions to make this offseason. The first one is whether or not he wants to continue playing basketball, and the other is where he wants to play basketball.
He has a player option on his contract, so he can become a free agent if he’d like. If that happens, former NBA executive John Hollinger believes he’d be the No. 1 free agent available this offseason.
“James has a player option for $52.6 million — yes, his BORD$ value nearly matches his contract to the dollar — and his decision on his next contract could go a few ways,” Hollinger wrote for The Athletic. “Opting in is the most straightforward, and he has a no-trade clause that would carry over.
“However, there’s also a chance he could opt out and re-sign at a lower number to help the Lakers use their nontaxpayer MLE to add more talent below the first-apron threshold, something that likely would be done in exchange for a 2026-27 player option. For instance, if the Lakers stretched Maxi Kleber and James took a $5 million haircut, the Lakers could use the entire nontaxpayer MLE — most likely on one of the free-agent centers listed below. James could sign a no-trade clause in any new contract, but that would be a brand-new negotiation.”
James Unlikely to Leave LA
With the news that James is working on building a mansion in Los Angeles, it’s hard to imagine he wants to move again at this stage in his career. Obviously, he can play in New York and still have his Los Angeles mansion waiting for him when he retires, but he’s already embraced the city.
There are only so many years left he can play, so it seems more likely that he’ll want to be in a city that he’s comfortable in.
