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May 13, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Savannah James, LeBron James and Rich Paul sit in the front in the fourth quarter of game four of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: Rich Paul Says LeBron James Is A Free Agent

Originally posted on Lakers Nation | By Ryan Ward | Last updated 5/26/24

A little more than a month from now, on June 29, Los Angeles Lakers superstar forward LeBron James will have to decide whether he’s opting into the last year of his contract with the team or if he’ll officially become an unrestricted free agent with the opportunity to test the open market.

At this point, the consensus seems to be that James will opt out of his contract to sign another lucrative deal with the Lakers for the next two to three years, and business will carry on as usual. However, there’s been speculation that James could be weighing his options and might be ready to move on this offseason for a better chance to win a title in what could be the last few years of his NBA career.

Although it remains a stretch that James will leave Los Angeles this summer, his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, made an interesting comment recently on the TNT Altcast during Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves. Even though Paul may have let this one slip a little early, he made it clear that James will become a free agent, via Legion Hoops:

Rich Paul: “LeBron is a free agent.”

… but LeBron currently has a pending player option. Interesting slip up from his agent.

(via @ChrisBHaynes) pic.twitter.com/5IrtdnP8C1

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 26, 2024

Obviously, Paul’s statement suggests that James is seriously considering his options and could leave the Lakers in free agency this summer. However, this could also be a simple mistake by the Klutch Sports founder, as everyone expects the four-time NBA champion to opt out of his deal with the team and inevitably re-sign with Los Angeles.

In the meantime, rumors will continue to swirl, and speculation will run rampant about James’ immediate future and whether he’s truly considering making a change this summer. Only time will tell, as Lakers fans will be left in limbo until the end of next month. The focus right now is on finding a new head coach and potentially bringing in a third star to play alongside James and Anthony Davis.

Rich Paul Not Focused On Getting Bronny James To Play With LeBron James

At one point, LeBron James made it clear that one of his goals for the last few years of his NBA career was to be teammates with his son Bronny James on the professional level, whether that be with the Lakers or another team.

However, that’s no longer the case, as Rich Paul of Klutch Sports claims that is not the focus right now. Paul wants the son of the NBA legend to find his place in the league and develop accordingly.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Lakers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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