After the Los Angeles Lakers got swept by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals, superstar small forward LeBron James offered a cryptic message about his NBA future.
James, who is 38, said he has a lot to think about this summer.
“I got a lot to think about. … Just personally, with me moving forward with the game of basketball, I got a lot to think about,” James said.
James signed a two-year, $97.1 million extension with the Lakers last summer. The extension includes a player option for the 2024-25 season.
The Lakers started this season 2-10. It looked like they were headed for another rough campaign. However, general manager Rob Pelinka made a flurry of moves at the trade deadline, helping Los Angeles secure the best record in the West post-trade deadline.
Behind James and All-Star big man Anthony Davis, the Lakers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 7-8 play-in game to clinch the seventh seed in the postseason. The purple and gold then took out the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round in six games and the Golden State Warriors in the second round in six games.
However, Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and the Nuggets were too much for the Lakers to handle in the conference finals. James, who has a torn tendon in his right foot, put up 40 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists in Game 6, but it wasn’t enough to save his season.
It would be surprising to see LeBron retire this summer since he has said multiple times that he wants to play with his son, Bronny, in the NBA. Bronny will be eligible for the NBA Draft in 2024. No father has ever played with or against his son in the NBA.
It’s unknown if James will need offseason surgery on his right foot. Two doctors told him to get season-ending surgery after he initially got hurt in February against the Dallas Mavericks, but James decided not to.
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