The Los Angeles Lakers are facing a $112 million LeBron James decision after the NBA announced its salary cap for the 2025/26 season, with teams awarded a 10 percent increase.
The NBA salary cap will rise to $154.6M next season, per ESPN, and the Lakers have superstar James, 40, on a contract that includes a player option for 2025-26 and a no-trade clause following a two-year extension last July. James could opt out and be eligible for an extension next season, which could take up over 34 percent of the Lakers’ 2025/26 salary cap.
James would be more likely to take a two-year contract worth $112M, with £54.1M of that allocated to the 2025/26 season, leaving the Lakers with a big decision to make on the locked-in future NBA Hall of Famer. The NBA superstar has been honest about his future in the league and says he won’t be playing much longer.
He said: “It won’t be because I can’t play this game at a high level. It won’t be because of that. To be honest, if I wanted to, I could probably play this game at a high level for probably about 5 to 7 years. But I’m not going to do that.”
“It’s all up to my body, but more importantly, my mind,” he added prior to Bronny’s draft. “If my mind can stay sharp and fresh and motivated, then the sky’s not even a limit for me. I can go beyond that. But we shall see.
This season, he has a shot at winning NBA gold alongside his son, Bronny James, who was drafted by the Lakers last year and has made significant strides in the G-League before recording an NBA career-high points haul of 17 against the Milwaukee Bucks earlier this month. James believes he would be able to play in the NBA for another five to seven years, but he doubts he’ll continue playing that long.
James’ departure could be delayed if he’s still playing at an elite level, his son continues to develop, and the Lakers show off their strength following the Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic trade. The Lakers sit fifth in the Western Conference and are heavily favored to reach the playoffs with just 11 regular-season games left.
James returned from a groin injury against the Chicago Bulls. However, despite holding a home-court advantage, he could not lead his team to victory. The Lakers then went on the road to the Orlando Magic and lost, condemning the team to three consecutive defeats.
Doncic has said he needs to work with James to pull the Lakers out of their slump before the postseason. Following his arrival, the Lakers put together a considerable winning streak. “I think we should look back to the way we played in that eight-game winning streak [from 20 February to 6 March],” said Doncic. “I think we got a little bit satisfied, and we can’t afford that.
