'Year 23 Coming Soon!:' Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James Shows He’s Locked in for Next Season Amid NBA Trade Rumors

LeBron James will make $52.6 million next season in the final year of his contract. He will become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason of 2026 for the first time since 2018.

Arguably the greatest player in NBA history, LeBron has been in trade rumors this offseason. After King James picked up his player option for next season, his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, issued a very cryptic statement to Shams Charania of ESPN.

“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Paul said. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.

“We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what’s best for him.”

Paul’s statement made it seem like LeBron was going to request a trade from the Lakers this offseason. However, the NBA icon hasn’t asked for a trade and is expected to be in a Los Angeles uniform next season.

LeBron joined the Lakers in 2018. He guided the franchise to the 2020 championship against the Miami Heat at the Walt Disney World bubble.

However, after Los Angeles acquired Luka Dončić from the Dallas Mavericks last season, LeBron no longer became the Lakers’ priority.

A future Hall of Famer, LeBron will likely spend all of next season with the Lakers. If he doesn’t retire, it will be very fascinating to see where The King is playing in 2026-27.