LeBron James has roughly a month to decide on his fate with the Los Angeles Lakers, but ESPN’s Shams Charania revealed The King’s rumored plan for his looming player option.
Shams: LeBron “Likely” to Pick up Player Option Ahead of June Deadline
The Latest on James and the Lakers
Speaking on “The Pat McAfee Show” Tuesday, Charania said James is “likely to opt in” to his $53 million player option, with the deadline for his decision falling on June 29.
“He’s got a massive player option. That’s likely, that’s the plan. But again, his option date is June 29, so he still has a month to figure [it] out. There’s gonna be some hard conversations that are gonna happen between him [and] the Lakers, seeing what this team looks like. Because listen, LeBron James, whether he plays one more season or a few more seasons, he wants to be in a competitive environment.”
Charania added that James was likely to accept the option because of the massive salary and upcoming flexibility “to figure out, ‘Do you extend off that number?’ or this is the final year, if this is the last hurrah, essentially.”
"I'm told LeBron James is likely to opt in..
He's got a massive player option and that's the plan..
He still has about a month to figure that out"@ShamsCharania #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/8mzUsMCU9r
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 27, 2025
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer is coming off of an illustrious 22nd campaign. In 70 games, James averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists on .513/.376/.782 splits, earning All-NBA Second Team honors for his efforts. He is currently recovering from a sprained MCL he suffered in Game 5 of the first round against the Timberwolves.
Lakers Focused on Adding Center This Offseason
One factor that could play into LeBron’s ultimate choice is seeing how the Lakers look next year—whether President and GM Rob Pelinka can bring back a legitimate title contender around him and newfound co-star Luka Doncic. Charania noted how bringing a big man on board is LA’s top priority this summer.
“The big question for the Lakers, though, [is] are they gonna find a true center? … Rob Pelinka, the President/General Manager, that’s his biggest focus of the offseason. … This summer, their number one objective is going and getting a center, replenishing their depth on the wings, and seeing how does LeBron James, how [does] Luka Doncic feel about that roster moving forward?”
The Lakers have several ways of addressing the gaping hole in the middle, the most obvious being through trade. The team reportedly had interest in Hawks center (and ex-USC Trojan) Onyeka Okongwu, and they could reopen those negotiations in the coming months. Daniel Gafford, Nic Claxton and Jakob Poeltl have also been linked to the Lakers recently. All of them are starting-caliber bigs with reasonable salaries LA could match in a deal.
Maintaining wing depth, meanwhile, should not be much of an issue. Dorian Finney-Smith, who joined the Lakers in a December trade, is expected to pick up his own $15.4 million player option, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. Jarred Vanderbilt, who returned midseason following two foot surgeries, is also under contract until 2027, when he has a player option for $13.3 million on the table. The lone question mark comes with Rui Hachimura, who is on an expiring $18.2 million contract and remains in trade rumors for a center.
The Last Word
The Lakers have major items to check off their to-do list, but the most important is securing LeBron’s continued commitment to LA. He previously said he’ll take his time with this decision, but it seems the choice has grown clearer as the deadline inches closer.
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