Would LeBron James, owed $46.7MM in 2023/24, really decide to retire before the start of next season? James said on Monday that he’ll have to consider the possibility, but sources close to the Lakers star have downplayed the idea that it will actually happen, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
As Amick writes, James’ state of mind when he made his postgame comments to the media on Monday may have been influenced by the retirement of his close friend and fellow 2003 draftee Carmelo Anthony, who made his announcement earlier in the day. Just a few questions before he hinted at his own retirement, James was asked about Anthony’s decision.
As Helene Elliott of The Los Angeles Times notes, the disappointment of being eliminated from the postseason was still raw when LeBron spoke to reporters, which may have factored into his comments. Elliott also suggests that James’ remarks could been the beginning of an effort to encourage an aggressive offseason for the Lakers, who will be looking to contend for a title again in 2024.
In his own look at possible explanations for James’ retirement talk, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer wonders if there’s a chance the four-time MVP will pursue a change of scenery, assuming he decides to continue his career. While it’s hard to imagine it happening, O’Connor specifically discusses the possibility of a trade to the Warriors, pointing out that James is good friends with Draymond Green and has said in the past that he’d love to play with Stephen Curry.
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- As the Lakers consider ways to upgrade their roster this offseason, Jovan Buha of The Athletic says the team has had internal discussions about what a hypothetical trade offer for Hawks star Trae Young might look like. Even if Atlanta were willing to trade Young, it’s hard to see how the Lakers could put together a viable package, given their lack of draft assets and players under contract.
- The best approach the Lakers could take this summer would be running it back by retaining and re-signing the players that got them to the Western Conference Finals, contends Mirjam Swanson of The Southern California News Group. As Swanson observes, a team like the Nuggets benefited from continuity, and the Lakers could follow that blueprint by giving this group a full offseason together rather than continuing to make major roster changes.
- While losing in four games to the Nuggets wasn’t an ideal end to the season, Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times argues that the Lakers should feel no shame about the outcome, given that all the games were competitive and the team had already defied the odds by rebounding from a 2-10 start to make the playoffs and win two series.
- Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype takes a closer look at the myriad offseason decisions facing the Lakers and how they may tackle those decisions.
- In case you missed it, a report on Monday stated that the Lakers are “determined” to bring back restricted free agents Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura. A source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to Amick that the club intends to bring back Reaves and Hachimura.
LBJ may have played his last game.
Leaving this way is similar to kareem
Kareem played well, but the Lakers were smoked by Detroit, and Kareem retired that summer.
Kareem announced his retirement before his final season and was treated to gifts and celebrations at every arena across the league. So… not really similar.
That is exactly how LeBron will go too. He’ll need his farewell tour and gifts in every city before he rides off into the sunset.
Plus Kareem’s skills faded quickly in his last two seasons. 10 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in his final season along with his worst-ever field goal percentage.
All that talk of “if he comes back from an o-3 deficit, it makes him the best of all time” nonsense that some Lebron D riders were saying. Since he didn’t and since this is his legacy can we finally but the goat talk to bed?
Put*
Look at it more like a sabbatical. Once you sign the papers you have to sit out a full calendar year before you can unretire.
He could sign off on official retirement papers by the end of August and then un retire in September 24 and join Bronny where ever he is going.
The Lakers went completley counter cultural and bought in young guys to be able to do what they did.
That’s unlikely to happen again. How much does LeBron feel he has left that he wants to use it on is the question.
Anything than going back to the conference finals can’t be acceptable to him. I was watching him as he was walking back to the locker room and the look on his face clearly showed that,that’s what he was thinking.
Hence that comment. You can add that playing with Bronny is a two year commitment.
In light of that I believe he is better served by retiring for a year.
Retiring for a year doesn’t make any real sense. The lakers will still hold his rights. He’d be better off playing out the contract and then choosing to sign with whoever gets bronny.
Been saying this all over this site for months.
Lebron for Wiggins + picks gets done
Poole + picks for whatever pick Bronny goes gets done
Lebron + Bronny play together on GSW with the big 3. At worst Bronny would be Stephs full time backup (needed, GSW never roster PGs other than Steph). At best Bronny takes over or turns into the player Poole needs to be and joins the legends as they continue chipping, finally joining the Celtics and Lakers as the big 3 teams with the most chips.
LMAO SATIRE ACCOUNT
LMAO IM LITERALLY QUOTING THE ARTICLE
Hey buddy, are you saying HoopsRumors.com is a satire site??? Really interested if you even understand what satire even means if this is what you think it is.
Of course the LBJ trade for Wiggins will never happen but my god will be hilarious hahaha the whole media will cream their pants.
@ElMajesty Honestly thats the most anyone is getting for a 40 year old. An all-star PLUS picks? Huge overpay by GSW tbh. Baldwin plus picks for Lebron probably makes more real world sense for both sides to be honest!
Wiggins took most of the year off for himself, that must have been nice. No one wants to trade for Golden States aging broken down and overpaid players. It’s a ridiculous fantasy to think otherwise. Why would the Lakers trade for a player from a team that couldn’t even get past them in the playoffs?
Don’t worry it will never happen. I rather have Wiggins who is still young and has many years left instead of bossy Lebron telling Kerr how to coach. Lebron is not the missing piece for the Warriors. West is going through a team with a big man so Warriors need a big Center not a old tired player.
@ARC 2 I also for the record, do not want Lebron on GSW (Im a warriors fan, hes the ultimate clown to us and Curry is 3-1 in the Finals vs him) and would prefer Wiggins here and Kerr gone. But the realist in me knows if Lebron wants this to happen, its happening whether GSW-hater trolls on here agree with it. Draymond will make this happen too if Lebron wants it to happen.
I doubt Curry wants LeBron on Warriors. LeBron trade rumor is just that he is not leaving LA. He just wants to take control of who Lakers brings in. All the Warriors need is a big center in the middle and they are good.
@ARC 2
With you on the “another center”, we absolutely need to replace DDV with a big man who gets those minutes next year. We cannot continue to play 3 guard lineups, we got annihilated on those all year.
Thing is, we can also easily get both Lebron and another center. Wiggins and Lebron wont be able to exist together due to money and position, and Kuminga and Lebron can split that spots minutes. Kerr never plays anyone over 30 MPG unless its a 2 way player, so Bron wont be getting overplayed like he always does, causing him to be gassed by the playoffs.
Wiggins would never be an overpay for lebron. You acting like he played better than lebron in their series lmao.
Wiggins is young and plays within the Warriors system. LeBron is old and knows that was his last chance to win. LeBron will play out next season and if he is not happy will latch onto some team that is already built for a championship.
It’s actually not a terrible idea
As a laker fan that’s pretty good damn value , you’d need more salary to fullfill the deal so prolly have to toss a DDV , or moody in for filler
Wouldn’t need too much draft capital after that
It will be lebrons Choice tho , If he wants gsw I wouldn’t argue with that return- lotta ifs but I’ll play along
*lebron doesn’t owe Lal anything to date imo , he”s changed the path for the franchise fior the better ,already , he deserves to call his shots here on. Out
He doesn’t have to retire and $47 million and change. Get the tendon repaired in his door and take next season off for recovery. The Lakers wouldn’t be very good without him so they could get that pick they owe the Pelicans out of the way and he’s still gets paid.
Or he could “retire” and take the season off and clear the payroll. The Lakers have some cap space this summer. If they they want they can free up around $28 million. If LeBron “retires” that could make that number close to $75 million. That’s enough for a top free agent and some top of the line role players. Then he can make his comeback the following season with a revamped roster after a year off to get healthy. Sure it would cost him about $47 million but the dude’s a billionaire.
Not a fan of any one team but I think this final series and especially this final game was an illustration of what an incredible grind the season, a couple of close playoff series and a championship series is to an aging player
For argument’s sake, I’ll focus on the last few minutes of last night’s game to say that it’s noteworthy that the James of two or three years ago likely takes over the game and they’re still playing, no matter who is on defense. I suspect that has occurred to LBJ, too, but where he contemplates retirement—however real or simply as a stream of consciousness comment—maybe it’s simply time to come to grips with the idea that he’s not that guy anymore, not the guy you build around, not the guy you go to with the game on the line
Don’t know who LA could bring in given their financial constraints, but as is one would have to say they hit their peak and then some this year
The ONLY Warriors/Lakers trade that makes sense is
Lakers send : LBJ, 28-29 1st round unprotected
Warriors send : Klay, Kuminga, 25 1st rd top 8 protected
Maybe add in pick swaps but that makes everyone happy. Warriors move on from an aging Klay who wants an extension, maximize the value if Kuminga, and get Lakers pick down the road once Bron and Steph are done. Lakers get a lethal shooter to space the floor with AD, as well as a pick they desperately need to start their rebuild thats a season late at this point. They also get Kuminga but my evaluation of him is a lot lower than most so I’ll leave that be.
Is it a great trade? No. Do I think it will happen? Absolutely not. BUT, it is the only deal that makes sense for both sides
Why are the Lakers sending a pick let alone a better one
Why would the Warriors bail the Lakers out without maximizing compensation for losing a young player on a rookie deal for 2 years max of Lebron? The time tables for those picks is the important part there.
Warriors timeline in this deal would make them ultra competitive for the next 2 years, Steph retires 2 years later, and then boom you have another asset to attempt your rebuild/retool dependent on what the Warriors roster will look like by 28/29
The Lakers then get the Warriors pick that will help them with their own timetable. You get 1 more year with AD and Klay and the rest to make a splash (no pun intended). After that, odds are they would let Klay retire a Laker because nobody would want his contract, trade AD to a young up and coming team with draft capital, think Jazz or Thunder, and begin their real rebuild in 2025. Warriors pick might not be amazing but with a roster of aging players you very well could turn that into a 10-14 pick.
Again, I don’t think this will happen or is even close to likely, but the story mentioned Lebron to the Warriors and I think the deal I proposed is the only deal that both teams and players involved would be okay with
Because washington_bonercats has no clue about basketball analysis and is just hate posting in a blind fury becuase Steph Curry and GSW fans live rent free in his brain forever.
What in this post made it seem like a hate post? Dude half of your posts are hate mail about the team that YOU like. I’m glad your Oakland A’s are dying. You deserve that
Warriors fans are a different breed of delusional. You’re going to get LeBron James and unprotected first in 6 years. Yeah sure, and I’m going to date Taylor Swift.
Its a few sport writers coming up with bait clicks. Lebron will stay in LA. Nobody is trading away their future for LeBron who may have 2 years left. Unless LeBron is the missing piece for a championship. Warriors problems are not a big guy in the middle. A center. They rather have AD than LeBron.
Lebron for PBJ and picks sounds about right!
Your chance with Taylor is FAR more likely.
Anyone paying attention knows I’m the opposite of a Warriors fan. I think you fail to see the hole both of the these teams have dug themselves in
Why would the Lakers want Play? That’s one of the worst contracts in the NBA. Klay’s career is toast!
I love how people know Im right about everything on here and it drives them to lie about things we all know are true. Crazy times. Curry really did annihilate your minds…
Get some sunlight. Seriously.
Klay Thompson literally had his 3rd best scoring season after his legs exploded, but he’s “in decline” – oh yeah, obviously. This is the level of blind, moronic hatred us Warriors fans face daily on here, its fun to prove people wrong with facts and logic, which they are incapable of using.
Labron to Miami send him east why trade him in the west crazy, first he has to ask to be traded I’m fine with that also send Davis to the Bulls for lavine and picks and keep the players you traded for or keep everyone possible run it back still a really good team build chemistry this team would get past the warriors again it’s about getting past the nuggets
Why would an older team that was embarrassed in an early playoff round embarrass me? They won last year (irrelevant) and then they looked weak this year, lost to the ghost of Lebron and street clothes. The players are old. Wiggins wasn’t even motivated or professional to play most of the season. Go look up the word “decline.” No one cares about Curry, he hasn’t been relevant for weeks. GOLDEN STATE LOST and is sitting at home. It’s time for you to accept it.
The Golden State Warriors are STILL your defending NBA champs, at least for a week or two longer. I’d tell you to put some respect on their names but you never did that even when they made 5 Finals in a row.
Just a truly mentally annihilated mindset. Could never be me. Health permitting GSW are likely making the Finals next year whether you like it or not.
Is LeBron going to retire so he can focus all of his attention on his GM duties?
I kinda expect LeBron to sign 1+1 deals until his son is in the NBA… Then get bought out from his current team to go play with Bronny…
But with his recent comments about “It being up to his son if he wants it” maybe the end for LeBron is closing in and he wants to ride off in the sunset before his skills decline further…
I agree with this take, I just offered up that GSW absolutely has the capital to get both father and son and that made people lose their minds. Why? Its just a fact.