LeBron James is set to play his 23rd NBA season with the Los Angeles Lakers, but reports indicate it is very unlikely he will request a trade during the season. His plan is to finish the year with the team regardless of their standing at the trade deadline in February.
At nearly 41 years old, LeBron still brings the same ambition and competitive energy, though for the first time he is no longer the main figure of the team, a role now held by Luka Doncic. What does seem clearer is that this could be his final season with the Lakers, though not necessarily his last in the NBA.
If he chooses to continue beyond this year, James could test free agency for the first time since leaving Cleveland in 2019. In fact, the 2025-26 season would be the first in his 23-year career where he plays on an expiring contract.
The first sign that his time in Los Angeles may be ending came when he opted into his $52 million player option instead of negotiating a new deal. This will be his eighth year with the Lakers, but the first time in a long while that he prepares to enter unrestricted free agency.
Despite his age and proximity to retirement, several teams are expected to show interest if he decides to leave the Lakers. The open question is whether he would accept less money to join friends and chase a championship with franchises such as the Dallas Mavericks or Golden State Warriors.
LeBron is about to become the first player in league history to play 23 seasons, surpassing Vince Carter, who retired after 22. He is also just 350 field goals away from breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time record of 15,837, something that looks inevitable considering he made 651 in the 2024-25 season.
If he plays 50 more games, he will pass Robert Parish as the player with the most regular-season appearances in history. He is also close to moving past Reggie Miller to take sixth place on the all-time three-pointers list.
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