LeBron James: NBA's all-time leading scorer's future in doubt after playoff loss as Lakers contract expires
LeBron James' NBA future is in jeopardy after the Los Angeles Lakers were knocked out of the playoffs by the Oklahoma City Thunder; James could retire with his LA Lakers contract expiring or re-sign on a reduced deal; The Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers are interested
Tuesday 12 May 2026 14:36, UK
The year is 2003. Apple have launched iTunes, Beyonce has released her first solo album, the Concorde is taking its last commercial flight - and LeBron James has just been drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Twenty-three years on and James has long-since established himself as one of basketball's all-time greats. Perhaps even the greatest.
In almost a quarter of a century at the top of the game, he has become the NBA's all-time leading scorer, winning four NBA titles, four MVPs, and throwing an alley-oop to his son along the way.
But, for the first time, his professional future is now uncertain. James' season came to an end on Monday when his Los Angeles Lakers exited the playoffs at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
It leaves him out of contract at 41-years-old and non-committal about what comes next.
So is LeBron James actually retiring? Will he stay with the Lakers? Or, if not, where could he go? Sky Sports assesses all the options...
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Will LeBron actually retire?
The 115-110 loss against the Thunder on Monday night condemned James to only his third playoff series sweep defeat in a staggering 302 postseason games, providing what could be a painful denouement to a monumental career.
"I don't know what the future holds for me, obviously," he said after the game. "As it stands right now tonight, I've got a lot of time. I'll sit back like I think I said last year after we lost to Minnesota, I'll go back and recalibrate with my family and talk with them and spend some time with them."
This is not the first time LeBron has hinted at retirement this season. At the end of January, the Ohio native was overcome with emotion when the Cleveland Cavaliers unveiled a pre-match tribute video in what could have been his last game in his hometown.
"I don't know what the future holds," James told reporters in characteristically vague language after that game. When asked if his future could contain a farewell tour, he responded: "I haven't made a decision on the future but it very well could be."
Late Lakers great Kobe Bryant ended his career with a final season that effectively functioned as a whistle-stop swansong tour across America, ending with a legendary 60-point final game.
Shaquille O'Neal, a former team-mate of both Bryant and James, feels that LeBron - who has always sought to maintain a public image along with his sporting legacy - would find such acclaim hard to turn down.
"LeBron's very calculated at things he does," O'Neal said. "So the whole world will know when it's his last year because him and his team, they probably want the farewell LeBron tour."
One last dance with the Lakers?
Should James choose to continue his illustrious career, the most likely option appears to be signing on for a ninth season with his current team.
He averaged 20 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds this season - a remarkable level of production for a player his age - and led his side to a remarkable playoff series victory over the Houston Rockets, a feat many felt was unlikely in the absence of injured star Luka Doncic.
A shot at the playoffs with a healthy Doncic could provide further motivation for James to extend. The Slovenian is undoubtedly one of the NBA's finest talents; he led the league in scoring in the regular season, averaging 33.5 points per game, and would have provided a significant boost to the Lakers' playoff hopes were he available to face the defending champion Thunder.
Another factor in James' decision will undoubtedly be family. He enjoys the unfathomable luxury of playing on the same team as his son, LeBron 'Bronny' James Jr, one he surely would not give up easily should he stay in the NBA. His wife and daughter are also based in LA after relocating there eight years ago, and are said to love living in Southern California, with many suspecting lifestyle as a major factor in James choosing the Lakers originally.
An obstacle to extending, though, is his salary. James earned a mammoth $52.6m (£41m) last season, and would need to take a significant pay cut to stay. The Lakers are currently be $60m under the league-wide $165m salary cap, but only have nine players under contract for the 2026-27 season - meaning they would need James to reduce his salary should they expect to make any significant signings in the off-season.
James has never earned less money than the year before in his NBA career - it remains to be seen whether he will take a pay cut in favour of his team, or go out on a high - with retirement, or a huge salary elsewhere.
Where else could he go?
James has proved his worth in today's NBA, even at 41 years old. There is no fear that he will have a shortage of suitors come free agency in the summer.
One mouth-watering option is James potentially joining forces with Steph Curry on the Golden State Warriors. The pair have an established off-court friendship, and have expressed a desire to play together in the NBA after winning a gold medal for Team USA at the 2024 Olympics together.
The Athletic have reported that the Warriors interest in James is tangible, with the franchise's proximity to James' family downstate only serving to aid their pursuit. However, with the Warriors also close to the salary cap limit, a pay cut would also be expected of James should he move to San Francisco.
The fairytale ending to LeBron's career would surely be a final return home to Cleveland. The Cavaliers - currently tied 2-2 in the Eastern Conference semi-finals against the No 1 seeded Detroit Pistons - have found success in a younger core of stars as of late, perhaps enticing James to become the final piece of what could be a championship-calibre team.
But Cleveland have their own salary cap issues, with the team currently sitting over the luxury tax limit at a staggering $222m guaranteed in 2026-27, meaning that they would likely have to offload players in order to sign their former draft pick.
LeBron James' NBA journey is nearly finished - and we will soon find out whether there is one more chapter to his incredible sporting story.
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