LeBron James reportedly could still retire at end of season, return to Lakers or play elsewhere in 2026-27

It doesn’t look like a farewell tour will signal the beginning of the end of LeBron James’ illustrious NBA career.

The four-time league MVP and four-time league champion isn’t interested in one, anyway, according to The Athletic’s Dan Woike and Sam Amick, who published a report Friday detailing the Los Angeles Lakers superstar’s potential next steps and the uncertainty about which one he’ll take.

James, 41, is reportedly undecided about his future. It could still include a retirement after this season, per The Athletic’s report, which cited team and league sources who spoke to the outlet about James anonymously.

After making his 22nd All-Star team in his NBA-record 23rd season, though, James reportedly could very well keep playing, either with the Lakers or elsewhere.

LeBron James started all 60 of the games he played this season, his 23rd in the NBA. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

(Sean M. Haffey via Getty Images)

James clearly still has a high-level impact on the game. He’s the reigning Western Conference Player of the Week, after all. Granted he was starring against a Golden State Warriors team that was resting Stephen Curry, a Phoenix Suns team that didn’t have Devin Booker and a ghastly Utah Jazz squad, but James averaged 24 points, 9.7 assists, 6 rebounds and 3 steals over those three wins to round out the regular season.

He returned to the forefront of the Lakers’ nucleus after thriving in a complementary role for an L.A. group that had been headlined by standout guards Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves.

Unfortunately for the Lakers, both Dončić and Reaves are out “indefinitely,” according to head coach JJ Redick, meaning James will likely need a Herculean effort to propel the No. 4 seeded Lakers past the No. 5 seeded Houston Rockets to the Western Conference semifinals.

But, even if the Lakers suffer a first-round playoff exit, the promise of what the team can be with Dončić, Reaves and James could encourage James to re-up in L.A., where general manager Rob Pelinka has said he'd "love if LeBron's story would be to retire as a Laker."

In fact, according to The Athletic’s report, a strong March changed the franchise’s landscape. The winning the Lakers enjoyed that month reportedly increased the chances of James staying in purple and gold.

More specifically, L.A. went 15-2 in March. Along the way, James played 14 games, shooting 56.2% from the field and averaging 18.5 points, 7 assists and 6.9 rebounds while Dončić made a head-turning MVP push and Reaves stacked eight 20-plus-point performances, including three 30-pieces in a row.

In other words, James gave way to Dončić and Reaves, still produced and the trio spearheaded some of the best Lakers basketball in recent memory.

James is in a contract year with the Lakers. Before the season started, there were legitimate reasons to believe it’d be his last with the team.

Although he picked up his $52.6 million player option last June, the next month news broke that L.A. didn't offer him an extension. Also, James was reportedly not given a heads-up about the sale of the Lakers from the Buss family to Mark Walter, whereas new franchise centerpiece, Dončić, was reportedly clued in about the transaction.

The transition of power couldn’t be ignored, and it created a good bit of hoopla.

Yet, even after missing the first 14 games of the season due to sciatica, James picked up where he left off the year before, and the Lakers managed their stars effectively. Throughout it all, he’s relished a chance to play more extensively with his son, Bronny.

“Me being on the floor with him,” James said this week, “is the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my career, above everything that I’ve accomplished.”

Where else could James play next season?

While the Lakers reportedly have the clearest path to sign James this offseason, other teams are expected to be in the mix if James doesn’t retire.

Back in January, ahead of James’ noticeably emotional road game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, a report from ESPN’s Dave McMenamin came out, revealing that the Cavs would welcome the Akron, Ohio, native back for his 24th NBA season and his third stay with the franchise that drafted him.

One last hurrah in Cleveland remains a possibility, according to The Athletic’s Friday report, which mentioned that James linking up with Curry in Golden State next season is plausible as well.

But, per The Athletic, luxury tax obstacles could get in the way for both potential suitors. If James wanted to pursue playing for either of those teams, he’d reportedly have to be more flexible financially, something of course he can do if he wants, given his net worth, which Forbes currently measures at $1.4 billion.

The Athletic’s report states that, given the pull L.A. the city has on James now, a move to the Clippers could become part of the conversation. The Clippers are coached by Tyronn Lue, James’ coach when he and the Cavs staged a 3-1 comeback against a 73-win Warriors team in the 2016 NBA Finals.

If James plays next season, he reportedly wants to be somewhere he can help a team contend for an NBA title.