Will LeBron James play another season in the NBA?
No one knows, but NBA fans can speculate about the four-time NBA champion’s future in the big leagues entering free agency.
While it’s an unlikely move, NBA Analysis’ Aaditya Krishnamurthy believes James could shockingly sign with the Dallas Mavericks and spend the final leg of his career playing alongside Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis.
“At 40 years old, LeBron James‘ future with the Lakers is up in the air,” Krishnamurthy wrote Friday. The Lakers are expected to retain James by signing a new deal.”
“But according to The Athletic, insiders from James’ camp don’t rule out a move to another team. Nico Harrison is expected to pursue a third superstar this summer, which opens the door for James to go to the Mavericks.”
“However, James has presumably had extensive conversations with Doncic about Nico Harrison. Will LeBron and his camp be willing to trust the Mavericks GM?
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“Furthermore, everything we’ve heard about the passive-aggressive approach of Nico sounds like James would be unhappy under his auspices. But James is desperate to win another NBA championship. And perhaps doing so with two teammates he’s won titles with (Irving and James) will appeal to him.”
It’s safe to say James is no longer in his prime. The accomplished forward is still an above-average athlete, ambidextrous passer, and physically imposing downhill driver, but he isn’t as dominant as he was earlier in his career.
Still, if there’s anyone who could still be an impactful NBA player in his early 40s, it’s James. The four-time NBA finals MVP averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds per game in 70 regular-season contests, shooting 51.3% from the field and 37.6% from three-point land.
Sadly, the Lakers’ postseason was uneventful. The franchise fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves in its highly anticipated first-round playoff series.
However, the 21-time All-Star was Los Angeles’ second-most productive contributor. James averaged 25.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per contest, connecting on 48.9% of his field goals and 35.7% of his three-point jumpers.
James, who has a $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season, isn’t a shoo-in to make another appearance in a Lakers uniform.
With that said, the chances of James inking a deal with the Irving and Davis-led Mavericks are incredibly slim.
It isn’t asinine to suggest the Lakers are a big man away from improving their championship odds for next year, giving James a strong incentive to run it back with Los Angeles (if he decides not to retire).
The public should receive an update on James’ NBA status this summer.
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