Is LeBron James Actually Staying With the Lakers?

Father Time Remains Undefeated

Every professional athlete has an expiration date, and LeBron James is no exception. As he enters his twilight years, he remains one of the league’s best players, even at the age of 40, when most athletes have long since hung up their jerseys.

King James has picked up the second year of his two-year contract with the Purple & Gold for a reported $52.6 million salary. LeBron James’ stats have not decreased markedly from his heyday as Cleveland’s savior in his third year as a Cavalier, when he averaged 31.4 points per game. Last year, he averaged 24.4 PPG, but his rebounds (7.8 RPG) and assists (8.2 APG) surpassed his career average.

At 40 years old, his best days are behind him, but his name alone gets fannies in the seats, and on the court, he is still a force to be reckoned with. Nevertheless, the end will eventually come, as it does for all athletes, and LeBron is keenly aware of this fact. Winning now is as important as the money he will make for plying his trade, which begs the question, will he stick around with a team that may not be a title contender, regardless of its acquisition of Luka Doncic?

LeBron James will look to finish his career with another team if he feels he can’t compete for a championship with the Lakers, per @ShamsCharania

It could really be happening. pic.twitter.com/ArZayvpSs1

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) July 1, 2025

Alternative Destinations

ESPN’s Dave McMenamin stated, “[Rich Paul, James’ agent] told me that he has not had any discussion with the Lakers about wanting a trade… He did say that four teams have contacted him in the last 24 hours wanting to talk trade, but Rich didn’t have any substantive conversations with those teams, either.”

“LeBron is focused on playing on a championship-caliber roster… We’ll see in a week from now, when Rob Pelinka is finished doing his work with this roster, if it looks like a winning, realistic situation,” McMenamin added.

“[Rich Paul] told me that he has not had any discussion with the Lakers about wanting a trade.”@mcten shares that Rich Paul has not had any “substantiative” conversations with any teams about trading LeBron James. pic.twitter.com/XpnpPVFnQq

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 30, 2025

If I were a betting man, and I am, my NBA predictions would include LeBron staying put. Look, he has enough fame and fortune to last him a lifetime and then some, but keeping LeBron in the white-hot spotlight of LA is paramount to the team and LeBron. He loves being surrounded by the Beautiful People, and if LA can give him a roster that resembles a title contender, he’s not going anywhere.

Unfortunately for our NBA picks, we have no crystal ball, and that goes for LeBron as well. But as long as Lakers GM Rob Pelinka peddles the narrative that this team is built to win now, LeBron is likely to buy it, especially if they can squeeze the recently released Damian Lillard into the equation!