Jason Burgos
A top NBA insider believes there is a specific date when the Los Angeles Lakers and NBA fans will know if LeBron James is returning to wear the gold and purple for one more season.
We are just a few weeks away from the start of the NBA offseason, and one of the biggest storylines heading into the summer is the future of James. The 22-time All-Star is set to be a free agent but is still unsure if he will even return for a 24th season in the league.
“I think at some point, up in June, late June, as July rolls around, free agency gets going. As July rolls into August, we start to kind of get a feel of what my future may look like,” James said Thursday on his Mind the Game podcast. “If it’s continuing to play the game that I love— which I know I can still give so much to the game, and play at a high level— or if it’s not. But I have not gotten to that point yet.”
However, that might be the timeline for him to decide whether he will play for a different team in 2026-27. Most NBA pundits believe one last season in Los Angeles makes the most sense. But there are questions on if the Lakers are willing to pay the sort of money James will require for another season.
LeBron James Lakers return decision will come by June 22nd?
Either way, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst believes Lakers fans will know by next month whether the NBA icon will be back with the team or not.
“This is how I handicap this on May 22nd. I’m not saying this is how I will see it on June 22nd. I think by the draft, which is one month from today, we will know if LeBron will be a Laker or not,” the NBA insider said on a Friday edition of Get Up.
“And if he is not going to be a Laker, then he can wait until August or September [to make a decision]. He is going to watch what everybody does and see what situation is going to fit.”
So, for Lakers fans hoping for a decision on the will-he or won’t-he question, they should get a definitive answer in a few weeks, according to Windhorst.
