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LeBron James Expected to Opt Out, Ink Massive New Contract With Lakers

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Max Dible | Last updated Jun 27, 2025 2:03 PM ET

LeBron James is on the cusp of his 23rd NBA season and shows no signs of slowing down or imminent retirement.

James earned Second-Team All-NBA honors in 2024-25 and will turn 41 years old in December. He controls his future in L.A. with one year remaining on his contract, which includes a player option for the 2025-26 campaign and a no-trade clause.

The Lakers are looking to reconstruct the roster to suit Luka Doncic moving forward, which will begin with adding a two-way center who can ideally defend the rim, serve as a lob threat and shoot well enough to space the floor on offense -- though finding all three in one player on the current budget could prove difficult.

Austin Reaves declined an $89 million max extension from L.A. on Thursday, June 26, opting instead to wait until next summer when he can forego the final year on his current $54 million deal and enter unrestricted free agency -- at which point other teams can make him offers and the Lakers can pay him considerably more based on league rules.

Doncic has the option to extend for either three or four years in August, and may choose the former (assuming he extends at all), which is less money now but will allow him to earn a bigger percentage of a larger salary cap figure as a super-max player with 10 years of NBA service three summers down the road.

That leaves James and his future for L.A. to consider. Athlon Sports NBA insider Mark Medina predicted on Friday that James will ink a new deal with Los Angeles this offseason that will mirror the contract he's on now -- a one-plus-one that affords him optionality next summer and is likely to cost the Lakers a pretty penny.

"James will end his storied NBA career with the Lakers," Medina wrote. "I don’t think James will announce when he will retire simply because he doesn’t know when he wants it to end. Therefore, James will opt out of his $52.6 million player option. He will then sign a one-plus-one deal so he has time before committing beyond the 2025-26 campaign. Don’t expect James to take a discount."

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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