LeBron James will be entering the 23rd year of his illustrious NBA career in 2025-26, which will make him the longest-tenured player in the history of the league. But it may very well be the last time we see him take the court as a professional, as the rumors of his impending retirement are beginning to grow louder.
LeBron James Could Soon Announce His Plans To Retire
James has been in the news ever since he re-signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. In June, the 40-year-old exercised the player option on his contract, ensuring that he’d be in the league for at least another season. But it didn’t guarantee that he’d be a Laker, as his agent immediately released a statement saying that they were monitoring the franchise’s front office moves. Trade rumors were floated immediately.
There’s a growing belief around the league that LeBron James will retire after the 2025-26 season, per @BrettSiegelNBA.
(h/t @fullcourtpass) pic.twitter.com/ojg2SvwdnV
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) July 17, 2025
There has been no developing news on that particular front, but it appears that the writing is on the wall for his long-term future beyond the upcoming campaign.
According to multiple sources, there is a growing belief that LeBron James could announce his retirement plans ahead of the upcoming season. The superstar was in Las Vegas during the Summer League festivities during the past week, and all eyes were focused on the NBA all-time leading scorer and how he approached Lakers’ brass and the situation as a whole. James reportedly declined to do an interview with ESPN, saying that he has “nothing to talk about”.
Will LeBron James request a trade or leave the Lakers?
Probably not.
However, gossip at NBA Summer League is whether LeBron is preparing to announce his retirement after the 25-26 season.
Latest for @ClutchPoints on James and the Lakers: https://t.co/v7tkoSCu1k
— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) July 17, 2025
Lakers reporter Dave McMenamin added fuel to the fire with his recent comments, as he said that 2025-26 may very well be James’ final year in the league.
James has been hinting at a retirement for a few years now, but all signs point to this being the actual swan song for arguably the greatest player to ever step foot on an NBA floor.
The timing may be just right for the superstar. There have been growing talks of expansion in the NBA, and there is a high likelihood that Las Vegas would be one of the host cities for a new franchise. It is no secret that LeBron James is interested in an ownership stake in said team, which could be the venture that he immediately turns to when he hangs up the sneakers for good.
