LeBron James’ Retirement Decision Could Shift Based on Lakers’ Roster Age

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Owen Crisafulli | Last updated Mar 18, 2025 6:09 PM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers have looked like a different team since acquiring Luka Doncic in a blockbuster trade with the Dallas Mavericks, giving them an opportunity to win another title before LeBron James inevitably retires. While the legendary forward has made it clear retirement is on his mind, the Lakers roster could influence his decision.

James has been one of the best players in the NBA for over two decades now, and he just turned 40 years old back in December. While he hasn't outlined a retirement plan just yet, James knows that the end of the road is near for him, even though he has shown no signs of regression to this point.

“If I really wanted to, I could probably play this game at a high level probably for about another — it’s weird that I might say this — but probably about another five to seven years, if I wanted to,” James said when discussing retirement. “But I’m not going to do that.”

Nobody knows when James plans on calling it a career, but it's fair to wonder whether or not the Lakers roster construction could influence his decision. With Doncic now on board, Los Angeles boasts a talented young roster, which could lead LeBron to extend his playing career in order to maximize the Lakers championship window.

"Luka is 26
AR is 26
Rui is 26
DK is 23
Hayes is 24
Vando is 25
Gabe is 28

LA has a lot of youth that is about to be right in the middle of their primes, I wonder if LeBron actually considers playing even longer than we thought with this championship window that L.A. can create," @scizzorz24 noted in a post on X.

Luka is 26
AR is 26
Rui is 26
DK is 23
Hayes is 24
Vando is 25
Gabe is 28

LA has a lot of youth that is about to be right in the middle of their primes, i wonder if Lebron actually considers playing even longer than we thought with this championship window that LA can create.
— KB24 (@scizzorz24) March 17, 2025

Through 58 games, James is averaging 25 points, 8.5 assists, and 8.2 rebounds per game while shooting 51.7% percent from the field. He's currently sidelined with a groin injury, although he has begun his on-court work, with the hope being he can return to action for the Lakers in the near future.

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

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