The Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James are in a standoff. There have been a lot of trade rumors surrounding the longtime superstar following his decision to opt in for the final year of his contract that will pay him over $52.6 million.
Reports have come out that the Lakers would prefer to move on from James as soon as possible. He doesn’t seem to be happy with the direction the franchise is heading.
While the trade rumors have been swirling, James’ contract situation would make him difficult to move. Finding a team who want to acquire or even can acquire a one-year deal worth over $52.6 million will not be easy.
That being said, James is also starting to wind down his NBA career.
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Entering the 2025-26 NBA season, James is now 40 years old. He will turn 41 years old on December 30.
With that in mind, retirement is starting to loom as a very real scenario for James. Following the last year on his contract, there is a legitimate chance that he could choose to walk away from the game.
Dave McMenamin, an NBA reporter for ESPN, has suggested that this could be James’ last season.
“I think we have to start thinking about this could be his last year in the league,” McMenamin said.
Regardless of when James chooses to hang up his sneakers and retire, he has created an amazing legacy. He is viewed by many as the NBA’s “GOAT,” although there are still many others who give Michael Jordan that title.
To this point in his career, James has played in 1,562 career games and has started in all but two of those appearances. He has also posted career averages of 27 points per game to go along with 7.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 1.5 steals.
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In addition, James has a career shooting percentage of 50.6, while he has also connected on 34.9 percent of his career three-point attempts.
James could choose to keep playing for a team other than the Lakers. No one knows what decision he will make. However, the idea of retirement is starting to become a much more likely outcome than it has ever been before.
Expect to continue hearing news and rumors about James in the coming days. His situation with Los Angeles is far from being settled.
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