Gary Payton: LeBron James Will Finish His Career With Lakers

LeBron can become an unrestricted free agent this offseason if he declines his 2024-25 player option with the Lakers worth $51.4 million, but Payton doesn’t think The King is going anywhere. 

“LeBron did what he wanted — [what] he was supposed to. He said, ‘I’m staying where I’m at,’” Payton told Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. “He’s been traveling too many times, been to Cleveland, you know. He been to Miami, went back to Cleveland. This is his last stop, man.”

LeBron joined the Lakers in the summer of 2018. The four-time MVP signed a four-year, $153 million contract.

The Akron Hammer then signed a two-year, $85 million extension in December 2020 after leading the Lakers to the 2020 championship at the Walt Disney World bubble. 

In August 2022, LeBron signed a two-year, $99 million extension with the Lakers, who “strongly prefer” The Chosen One retire with them, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. 

“LeBron is not going nowhere. L.A. is his city right now, his town,” Payton said. “Kobe is really … it’s Kobe’s city. But LeBron is taking over now.”

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer, LeBron is averaging 24.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 7.8 assists this season while shooting 52.0% from the field, 39.5% from beyond the arc and 74.1% from the free-throw line. The Lakers (30-26) are in ninth place in the Western Conference standings. 

A four-time Finals MVP, LeBron is averaging 27.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.9 assists in a Lakers uniform.

According to Zach Lowe of ESPN, LBJ would like to finish his career with the Lakers. 

“On LeBron James, look I can’t sit here and really tell you I know what LeBron wants out of life,” Lowe said on his podcast. “Everything I’ve heard for years, including today, is if he has his druthers, he would like to finish his career with the Lakers. There are pipe dream scenarios out there where like well Philly has all this cap space. Could he opt-in and ask for a trade to Philly? I haven’t heard that those things are real. I think he wants to finish his career a Laker. I think he probably will opt-in. Is he really opting out of $51 million?”