As expected, LeBron James will not enter free agency as he approaches his age-40 season. The generational superstar picked up his contract option on Sunday to stay with the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2025-26 season, locking him into a $52.6 million salary for next year. However, the decision came with a strong message (and a bit of a warning) from James's agent, Rich Paul.
Paul told ESPN's Shams Charania that James would pick up his option for the upcoming season and avoid free agency, but he still fully expects to compete for a championship even if the Lakers have to start building for the long-term.
"LeBron wants to compete for a championship," Paul said to ESPN. "He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.
"We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what's best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what's best for him."
It is an... unusual comment, to say the least. It's the sort of thing that's almost always communicated directly from player to team, and with a player like James it seems rather obvious he wants to push for a last shot at a title. Yet he and Paul seemed to have decided the pressure should be publicly laid on the franchise as it enters a period of possibly big change with the Buss family selling majority control of the organization to Mark Walter.
Los Angeles does have to consider two timelines thanks to the wild events of last season. James is an all-time great and putting him in the best spot possible to win a championship would behoove the organization, especially given he is still playing at an All-NBA level. But the unexpected trade for Luka Doncic means the Lakers have to make every decision with the long-term in mind; the 26-year-old is a superstar in of himself and could be in uniform for the next 10 years at least.
The Lakers have to think long and hard about pushing all their chips into the middle for the right now when they have a young star to build around, in other words. Making matters even more complicated is the fact that the roster as it stands is clearly not championship-ready after they were eliminated in five games by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the playoffs despite holding homecourt advantage.
James and Paul don't seem fond of that possible reality and made it publicly known. If the Lakers weren't feeling the heat yet, they should be now.
More NBA on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as LeBron James's Agent Has Blunt Message for Lakers After Picking Up Contract Option.
