One Western Conference executive is not buying the talks that LeBron James could retire this offseason after a rather heartbreaking end to the Los Angeles Lakers' 2022-23 campaign.

To recall, after the Lakers got swept by the Denver Nuggets in the West Finals, James hinted that his return to LA is uncertain as he thinks about his future in the NBA. After that, rumors about his future surfaced, with Chris B. Haynes of Bleacher Report reporting that a retirement is “in consideration” for the superstar forward.

Sure enough, James' remarks and the retirement report that followed made headlines. The issue has also been the focus of conversations around the NBA world, and for good reason.

However, an anonymous Western Conference executive expressed belief that James only made the declaration about his uncertain future in order to change the narrative and stop people from talking about the sweep. The said exec added that they don't see James retiring just yet.

“He'll suit up next year. He just changed the conversation. Now we're not talking about a sweep; we're talking about LeBron and retirement. He loves to control the narrative,” the exec furthered, per Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report.

For what it's worth, several fans and experts alike shared their doubts about LeBron James retiring. Many see it as his way to just gain leverage over the Lakers to put more pressure on the front office as he seeks to compete for a title in his last few years in the NBA.

Of course it will be interesting to see what James will actually do in the offseason. A retirement is always a possibility, though don't be surprised if it doesn't happen.