LEBRON JAMES TO LEAVE LAKERS, SEEK ELSEWHERE FOR 2026-27

LeBron James has informed the Los Angeles Lakers he intends to play for another team in the 2026-27 season, according to reporting from ESPN's Shams Charania. James spoke with Lakers president Rob Pelinka about his decision before free agency began on Tuesday evening. The move ends speculation that James would retire at age 41 at the end of the 2025-26 campaign. James averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds across 60 games in the season just completed.

In the 2025-26 season, James helped the Lakers reach the Western Conference's fourth seed alongside Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. The team defeated the Houston Rockets 4-2 in the first round, though Dončić and Reaves were sidelined for portions of that series. The Lakers subsequently lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder 4-0 in the second round. Reaves has since signed a maximum contract with the team as part of rebuilding efforts centred on Dončić.

James holds four NBA championship titles, four MVP awards and 22 All-Star selections. He surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record in 2023 and ranks fourth all-time in assists. The only significant milestone remaining in his career, according to reporting, would be matching or exceeding Michael Jordan's six NBA championships. Younger players including Victor Wembanyama, Shai-Gilgeous Alexander and Nikola Jokić have risen to prominence within the league.