Where will LeBron James play next year? Will he play next year? What’s next for the free agent?

LOS ANGELES — LeBron James has been a Laker longer than he has been with any other team consecutively.

That’s wild to think about. Many still think of LeBron as a young Cavalier, and he spent his first seven seasons with them before going to Miami for four years, winning two rings. He came back to Cleveland for four more years and another ring — but he has been a Laker for eight straight seasons. He hung a banner in Los Angeles as well.

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Now, that may be coming to an end.

“I don’t know what the future holds for me, honestly, as it stands right now, tonight,” LeBron said after his Lakers were eliminated at the hands of the Thunder. “I’ve got a lot of time now. I think I said it last year after we lost to Minnesota: I’ll go back and recalibrate with my family and talk with them and spend some time with them, and then when the time comes, obviously, you guys will know what I decide to do.”

What is next for LeBron? Let’s break it down.

Is LeBron James a free agent this summer?

Yes. LeBron and the Lakers did not agree to an extension last offseason, and both sides were comfortable reassessing their situation this summer, so LeBron is an unrestricted free agent. He can sign with any other team for any amount of money he is willing to accept.

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How big is LeBron’s next payday?

That is the biggest key in all of this: How much money is LeBron willing to sign for? He’s going to take a pay cut. The less he’s willing to take, the more options he will have.

He’s not going to make nearly as much as the $50.6 million he made last season (the teams with max cap space are not places he wants to go). That said, LeBron was still a legitimate All-Star-level player who averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.1 rebounds per game. He showed both a willingness to accept the role as the third offensive option when Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves were healthy, and an ability to step up and take over the offense for them in the playoffs when the other two were out — and he was the best player on the floor, lifting the Lakers past the Houston Rockets in the first round.

“I was put into some positions that I never…

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Publish date : 2026-05-13 17:26:00

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