The 2025–26 NBA season will be unique for four-time champion LeBron James as, for the first time in his career, he will start the season with neither a contract for the following season nor a player option. That means there’ll be a lot of uncertainty regarding LeBron’s future once the Los Angeles Lakers’ season ends, whether in early May or mid-June.
So, this early, we’ve decided to break down LeBron James’s options the moment the 2025–26 NBA season ends. At the moment, we think there are four potential eventualities for Mr. James at the conclusion of the upcoming season. We take a look at each one and the chances of it happening:
Play On . . . With the Los Angeles Lakers
Chances of It Happening: High
LeBron James wants more stats and more titles, so it’s likely he’ll keep playing if his body lets him. NBA insider Brian Windhorst certainly thinks this is a distinct possibility, baring in “The Hoop Collective Podcast” that he does not see LeBron James slowing down “if he stays healthy.”
James, of course, has had his share of injuries over the past few seasons, but he did play 70 games last season and put up per-game averages of 24.4 points, 8.2 dimes, 7.8 boards, 1.0 steals, and 0.6 blocks on 51.3 shooting from the field, 37.6 from downtown, and 78.2 from the charity stripe.
Those are the stats of someone who should keep playing, and the only question is where. The Lakers, where he could be Robin to Luka Doncic’s Batman, make perfect sense, especially as the Purple and Gold are a piece or two away from true championship contention.
Play On . . . With Another Team
Chances of It Happening: Mid
While the Lakers make for an ideal spot for LeBron James moving forward, don’t count out the possibility of him moving elsewhere for what could potentially be his 24th season. He’s done it thrice already—he left the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2010, the Heat in 2014, and the Cavs again in 2018—and a fourth time could be in the works depending on what happens this season.
The chance to play with Stephen Curry, good friend Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler, for instance, might be enticing enough for LeBron James to consider the Golden State Warriors. Another homecoming could be just as appealing, as the Cleveland Cavaliers have a young and talented core in place already.
Play On . . . But in Europe
Chances of It Happening: Slim to None
Another idea floating around is of LeBron James playing outside the NBA—specifically in the international league being cooked up by a group of investors that includes LeBron’s business partner and long-time friend Maverick Carter.
Thus far, nothing concrete has materialized with this ambitious plan, and it already has stiff competition in the European basketball league the NBA and FIBA are currently working on. This new league, incidentally, could be launched in 2027 or 2028, effectively taking it away as a potential landing spot for LeBron James after the 2025–26 NBA season. Carter’s league, on the other hand, could theoretically be up and running in 2026 should the investors secure the $5 billion it is looking for.
Regardless, there’s too much uncertainty with this option that it’s probably the longest of shots among the ones included in this breakdown. Then again, crazier things have happened in hoops.
Retire
Chances of It Happening: Very Slim
Let’s face it, LeBron James loves the spotlight. He craves attention. And that’s why he’s probably not retiring without a farewell season—something Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant had.
James, for sure, would love to get honored in every NBA city the way Jordan and Kobe were during their retirement season, which means there’s a good chance the NBA’s all-time leading scorer will announce when that last season would be.
