No Indication From NBA Personnel LeBron James Will Leave Lakers

According to NBA insider Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, there is no indication from league personnel that LeBron James will leave the Los Angeles Lakers. 

LeBron can become an unrestricted free agent this summer by declining his 2024-25 player option. 

“LeBron James can enter the open market if he declines his 2024-25 player option, and the Sixers did secure a meeting with James in 2018, before the all-time great joined the Lakers in free agency,” Fischer wrote. “And yet, there’s been no indication from league personnel with knowledge of the situation that James will truly entertain fleeing Los Angeles.”

LeBron appeared in 71 games for the Lakers this season. The NBA legend averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists while shooting 54.0% from the field, 41.0% from beyond the arc and 75.0% from the free-throw line. 

The Denver Nuggets beat the Lakers in the first round of this year’s playoffs in five games. Los Angeles fired Darvin Ham as head coach after its season ended. 

LeBron joined the Lakers in the summer of 2018 after playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2014-15 to 2017-18. He became the leading scorer of all time last season, passing Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

LeBron, who turns 40 in December, is expected to play up to two more NBA seasons.

The Lakers have been linked to JJ Redick, Sam Cassell, James Borrego, David Adelman, Micah Nori and Chris Quinn in their coaching search. 

Most individuals around the NBA expect the Lakers to hire Redick, who is podcast partners with LeBron. Los Angeles is seeking a coach who will command the locker room, hold players accountable, tirelessly gameplan and provide a level of structure. 

LeBron is a four-time MVP, a four-time Finals MVP and a four-time champion.

He’s the only player in NBA history to rank top-five all-time in points and assists, the only player to win three Finals MVPs with three different teams, the only player with 30,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 10,000 career assists and the only player to score 40,000 points.