The last dance? It was revealed that James is likely to execute the 52.6 million option and still has a month to make a decision

On May 28, Beijing time, ESPN's Shams was asked about LeBron James' future trends when he participated in the podcast. Shams said the Lakers star is likely to exercise a $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season.

"The message I got was that he was likely to opt for the execution option," Shams said...... This is a high probability event, and it is also the current plan. But his options deadline is June 29 (June 30 Beijing time), so he still has about a month to make a decision. There will be some tough conversations between him and the Lakers about the future roster structure of the team. Because whether he's playing one more season or more, he wants to be in a competitive environment. ”

"He may opt for the execution option because the contract is too large. This also provides flexibility for subsequent operations – whether it's renewing on that basis, or ...... Essentially, this is the 'last dance'. ”

A few weeks ago, at the end of the Lakers season, James expressed uncertainty about his NBA future, neither confirming that he would return to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2025-26 season, nor that he would continue his career.

However, the likelihood of James announcing his retirement this summer has been extremely low. Although he endured some ups and downs during his time with the Lakers, there has been no indication in recent years that he intends to leave Los Angeles. With the addition of Doncic, the team has a new reason for optimism, which also seems to reduce the likelihood of James leaving.

The US media noted that against this background, Shams' report is logical. However, it should be noted that if James exercises the option, his salary will be below the maximum salary (expected to be $54.1 million) and he will not be able to renew his contract before his contract expires next summer. So even if he just wants to play for the Lakers for one more season and then keep other options in 2026, he may refuse to exercise the player option and sign a new one-year contract instead.

If James decides to continue the 2025-26 season, it will be his 23rd season in the NBA, setting a new league record. James and Vince Carter are currently tied for first place with 22 seasons.