While retirement and injuries are dominating headlines ahead of LeBron James' 23rd NBA season, his Los Angeles Lakers teammates see his presence as invaluable for this season and beyond.
Sources close to the Lakers told ESPN reporter Dave McMenamin that both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are advocates for James extending his career beyond this season. “Doncic and Reaves, for their part, love playing with James and want the partnership to continue, sources told ESPN.”
McMenamin also added the question for consideration: how does James' timeline sync up with the much younger Doncic and Reaves? That's likely a question the Lakers franchise will address when James is an unrestricted free agent in the 2026 offseason.
For the first time in his career, James is on an expiring contract. At 41 years old this December, James discussed retirement during media day, acknowledging that the end is near.
“I'm excited about the opportunity to play the game that I love for another season,” James said. “And however the journey lays out this year, I'm just super invested. Because, like you said, I don't know when the end is, but I know it's a lot sooner than later.”
As much as Doncic and Reaves want to continue playing with James, they respect him more than anything. “Both players have not inquired with James about when he plans to retire, sources said, wanting to show respect for James' process,” McMenamin said.
Reaves could also hit unrestricted free agency in the 2026 offseason. He has a player option worth nearly $15 million for the 2026-27 season, but he is likely to opt out, with rivals speculating Reaves could get $40 million annually on his next contract.
Doncic, on the other hand, locked in his future with the franchise by signing a three-year contract this offseason. The star guard already experienced a farewell tour with Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks. With that in mind, Doncic seems unfazed about a similar send-off with James.
