While LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are squarely focused on their upcoming playoff series against the Houston Rockets, the two sides will also have some big decisions to make this offseason as well. James’ contract expires at the end of this season and he will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer.
Whether James will continue playing after his 23rd NBA season is unclear and if he does choose to play, it is anyone’s guess as to whether he would re-sign with the Lakers or choose to go elsewhere. And according to Dan Woike and Sam Amick of The Athletic, even James himself hasn’t made a decision just yet when it comes to playing, be he reportedly doesn’t want a farewell tour regardless:
Team and league sources granted anonymity to speak openly say James has made no decisions regarding his future; that retirement remains a real possibility. The notion that James would want a farewell tour — long cited as evidence that this season was not his last — is false, those sources said, with several sources even hearing that directly from James himself.
This is par for the course when it comes to James as he has always waited until the offseason to take some time with his family and then make a decision on his career. What is different is the notion that James does not care about potentially having a farewell tour like the one Kobe Bryant had in his final season with the Lakers.
If James does decide to return for his 24th season, no one knows whether that will be with the Lakers. There has been speculation for months about whether James would return to L.A. next season, or even whether the organization wants him back. The size of the contract will also play a role as the Lakers must re-sign Austin Reaves this summer, in addition to other important role players such as Rui Hachimura and Luke Kennard being free agents as well.
None of this will distract James as he prepares for the postseason, but there will be a ton of eyes on what he decides to do once the summer hits.
LeBron James hasn’t thought about retirement or farewell tour yet
This subject isn’t something that hasn’t been brought up or addressed before as James himself has spoken about it. And the Lakers superstar made it clear that he hasn’t thought about retirement or a farewell tour yet because he hasn’t had a talk with his family about it.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
