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LeBron James and the Lakers: Breaking down his future in L.A., championship chances, trade possibilities and next contract

LeBron James will be with the Los Angeles Lakers for at least one more season after picking up his $52.6 million player option for 2025-26 on Sunday.

Yet remarks from James' agent, Rich Paul, raised eyebrows about the four-time MVP's future with the team beyond next season.

"LeBron wants to compete for a championship," Paul told ESPN on Sunday. "He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.

"We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what's best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what's best for him."

The implication appears to be that James doesn't believe the Lakers can win an NBA title next season while also building for the future. Under first-year coach JJ Redick, the team finished tied for third in the Western Conference last season at 50-32, albeit 18 games behind the eventual NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder. But the Lakers losing their first-round playoff series to the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games demonstrated how far they are from winning an NBA title.

If winning another championship is the priority, that could mean that James would prefer a trade. Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor outlined possibilities including the Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks and New York Knicks. Whether his chances would be better elsewhere than with the Lakers is what James and Paul will have to decide.

LeBron's contract situation

James is under contract with the Lakers for one more season after picking up his $52.6 million player option for 2025-26. The option was part of a two-year, $104 million deal he signed with the Lakers in 2024 that included a no-trade clause.

Next season will be James' eighth in Los Angeles, the longest single run he's had with one team. It will also be his 23rd consecutive season as an active player, an NBA record. James is 50 games away from breaking the record for most regular-season games in league history, currently held by Robert Parish at 1,611.

At 40, James could decide to retire after the coming season. Yet he's still playing at a high level, averaging 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists. Those numbers are close to the same averages he's posted for his entire 22-year career. He played 70 games, averaging 34.9 minutes per contest.

Lakers' future is Luka Dončić

Though James has not revealed how much longer he intends to play, the Lakers cannot plan for a long-term future with him in mind. That was addressed with last season's blockbuster trade for Luka Dončić.

Dončić, 26, is under contract through next season with a $49 million player option for 2026-27. Yet the Lakers will surely work to supersede that option by signing Dončić to a long-term agreement. He's eligible for a four-year, $229 million extension after Aug. 2, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks.

The question then becomes whether the Lakers can sign Dončić and James to maximum salary contracts and still have financial flexibility to build around them under the salary cap. For instance, can they keep a player like Austin Reaves, who turned down a four-year, $98.2 million extension?

All-in for 2025-26?

If James only has one season left with the Lakers, the team could conceivably make one last run at an NBA championship with him. Yet that probably isn't realistic for the team's new ownership with the salary cap and additional restrictions such as the second apron, which effectively taxes teams severely for dollars spent over payroll limits, while also restricting trades that can be made.

However, the Lakers may still try to build a better team around their two stars, notably by upgrading at center, which was a liability for them after trading Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks for Dončić.

Options include Deandre Ayton, now available after being bought out by the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday. Brook Lopez and Clint Capela are other free-agent possibilities, while the Utah Jazz's Walker Kessler and Isaiah Stewart of the Detroit Pistons are potential trade targets.

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