Speaking on ‘The Hoop Collective’ podcast, NBA analyst Brian Windhorst revealed some surprising news about LeBron James’ future in the league. Apparently, there’s a sense that LeBron, who has played for three different NBA franchises, could sign on with another team before his career is all said and done.
“I don’t know what’s gonna happen with LeBron in 2025,” said Windhorst. “I feel like LeBron is gonna play next year, but I don’t know if it’s gonna be for the Lakers…”
LeBron has a player option for the 2024-25 season, meaning that he could opt to decline the final year and become a free agent as soon as this summer. At 39 years old, it’s no surprise that James is taking it one season at a time but the growing uncertainty in Los Angeles has some wondering if he’s reconsidering his loyalties.
What’s Next For LeBron?
This season has not been going according to plan for the Lakers, and this is hardly how anyone imagined the team would be playing at this point in the season. For a guy in James, who is taking care of business on his end, this situation is just not acceptable given how little time he’s got to work with. This summer, with the option to become a free agent, or opt-in for another year, James will have total control of his destiny.
If he opts out, however, retirement isn’t the only option or motivator for James. It’s been noted already that he has a strong desire to team up with his son, Bronny, who will be eligible for the draft later this year. If he wants, James could decide to follow his son and link up with him on the court to fulfill a longtime dream.
Unlike in years past for LeBron, nobody really knows what the future holds for King James and that’s probably by design. At this stage of his career, at 39 years old, he’s earned the right to keep his options open and that’s exactly what he’ll have in the summer after this ongoing season with the Lakers.
Lakers Are In Trouble
It’s still too early to panic if you’re the Lakers, but a LeBron departure would be disastrous for them. Even now, he’s their most consistent player on a game-to-game basis, with averages of 24.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game on 52.4% shooting. At 30 years old, Anthony Davis still has time to carry the torch for the Lakers, but he can only get so far on his own. Without a proper replacement for LeBron James, the Lakers have no way to compete without him on the roster and they are already struggling to win games with him on the floor.
This season, the front office is expected to spare no expense in improving the team, even if it means giving up valuable players in the process like D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, or even Austin Reaves. If the Lakers don’t get some help around their stars soon, it could push both of them out just as what happened to Russell Westbrook and other stars who came before him.
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