LeBron hits free agency: James not returning to Lakers, plans to play 24th season elsewhere
LeBron James is leaving the Los Angeles Lakers, which means another decision awaits.
A mere 16 years after his first famed “decision” — the one that saw him leave Cleveland for Miami — James is getting ready to change uniforms once again. He has told the Lakers that his eight-year run with them is over and that he'll play a record-extending 24th NBA season elsewhere.
James has made clear many times in recent years that more championships are his motivation, which means it's almost certain he'll pick a team that he believes can contend for the NBA title in 2027. Golden State is believed to be on his list, though there are certainly some who will wonder if reunions with Cleveland and Miami are possible. Or, perhaps, a new landing spot awaits such as San Antonio, where he could partner with 7-foot-4 global megastar Victor Wembanyama.
“I’ve done it all. I’ve seen it all,” James said when the Lakers' season ended in May — after what was his last game with the franchise. “Just being able to compete and trying to win championships, I think that’s a motivating factor.”
The first half of his decision is complete: He's back for at least one more year, which means his family agreed to that part of the plan — James had said his wife Savannah and 12-year-old daughter Zhuri would have big says in whether he continued to play.
His next decision — where to play — is among the biggest dominoes that will fall during the NBA's offseason player movement window, alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo being traded by Milwaukee to Miami.
The next step for James is hearing from interested teams — Golden State, Miami and Cleveland were among the clubs expected to make pitches, a person with knowledge of the plans said — before he picks a landing spot. How long the process will take is anyone's guess, and the person made clear to The Associated Press that money won't be a factor in James' decision.
The Lakers released a statement Tuesday thanking James for his eight seasons with the club.
“LeBron James is one of the greatest athletes in history,” said Jeanie Buss, part of the Lakers’ ownership group. “We will always be thankful for his eight years with the Lakers, including the title he led us to in 2020 under the toughest imaginable circumstances, and the countless records he broke in purple and gold. We wish him all the best in the future, both on the court and off. He will always be a cherished part of the Lakers family.”
ESPN, citing James’ longtime agent and Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, first reported James’ plans.
The free agency period in the league opened at 6 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, which meant James and Paul could start taking those meetings. James will not be able to sign with a new team until the league’s offseason moratorium is lifted on July 6.
The momentum toward Golden State seemed to pick up when longtime Warriors forward Draymond Green did not exercise his $27.6 million option for this coming season earlier this week, in large part to allow his team flexibility to make other roster moves. It doesn't mean Green won't be back in Golden State — all indications are that he will — but it gives the team options.
“Personally, I’m always willing to work with the team on whatever is best, especially at this point in my career,” Green said on the latest episode of his podcast, which was released Tuesday. “So, my decision to opt out was for a few reasons. As you all know, I’ve always taken the approach of working with the organization. I’ve been in one place for 14 years. It’s more of a family to me than anything.”
Golden State is a franchise James faced four times with Cleveland in the NBA Finals. He also has close relationships with Green, Stephen Curry and Warriors coach Steve Kerr; Curry was his teammate and Kerr was his coach for the United States' run to the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Games.
James' tenure with the Lakers was the longest he spent in one stint with an NBA team and he led them to the 2020 NBA championship. He became the NBA’s career scoring leader while wearing a Lakers uniform and surpassed a slew of other records while in purple and gold.
He spent the first seven years of his career in Cleveland, then left for four years in Miami, where he won the first two of his four championships. That was followed by another four-year stint with the Cavaliers (so he had 11 years there total), and in 2018 he joined the Lakers.
James is the NBA’s oldest active player; he turns 42 in December. He was the first player in league history to log 23 seasons; he’ll add at least one more to that this season. He also became the first player in the league to have a son as a teammate, with Bronny James playing alongside him with the Lakers.
The list of James’ accolades to this point are beyond comparison.
He’s a 22-time All-Star, a 21-time All-NBA selection, a four-time Most Valuable Player, a four-time NBA Finals MVP, a three-time All-Star Game MVP, and was part of the NBA’s 75th anniversary team. He’s coming off a season where he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game, and for his career, he’s averaged 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists in more than 1,600 games.
“He created a whole new era for the Lakers, including leading us to an NBA Championship in 2020 and all the milestones he surpassed in a Lakers jersey,” Lakers Hall of Famer Magic Johnson wrote on social media. “I’ll always love and be grateful for him and wish him all the best in the next phase of his life, on and off the court!”
As is custom, the NBA revealed the salary cap for this coming season shortly before the formal start of the free agency window. The cap was set at $164.961 million, with the tax level at $200.428 million.
Other numbers released by the league:
— The minimum team salary is $148.465 million.
— The first apron level is $209.015 million.
— The second apron level is $221.686 million.
— The non-taxpayer midlevel salary is $15.044 million.
— The taxpayer midlevel is $6.064 million.
— The room midlevel is $9.366 million.
Tim Hardaway Jr. grew up in Miami, where his father's jersey sways as one that the Heat retired. And now, he'll follow in his father's footsteps — agreeing to a $6.5 million deal to join the Heat and be one of the shooters around soon-to-be formally acquired Antetokounmpo. Miami also agreed with Simone Fontecchio on a deal that will only cost Miami $2.5 million against the cap.
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