LeBron James has made one thing clear: He has no desire to waste his final great stretch playing meaningless basketball for a subpar Los Angeles Lakers team.
But James is under contract through the 2024-25 season after signing a two-year extension this summer. Yet, with the Lakers having flirted with the bottom of the barrel in the Western Conference, James has put his future in Los Angeles in question.
"I think about how much longer I'm going to play the game," James said, as transcribed by Kyle Goon of the OC Register. "I think about that I don't want to finish my career playing at this level from a team aspect. I'll still be able to compete for championships because I know what I can still bring to any ball club with the right pieces."
To be clear, James doesn't owe the Lakers anything whatsoever.
Before James initially left Cleveland -- a second time -- in 2018, the Lakers were a dumpster fire. The post-Kobe Bryant era was a disgrace to a franchise enriched with winning.
The Lakers missed the playoffs five straight seasons ahead of James landing in Los Angeles. And while James hasn't replicated that same fire he displayed when he embraced being the league's "enemy" with the Miami Heat, it's not on him. The front office has failed to provide playoff-worthy depth to surround an aging James. They rolled the dice with Russell Westbrook -- a cap space demon -- and added Patrick Beverly, which was the highlight of their most recent offseason.
In 2020, James led the Lakers to the promised land. Needless to say that without him they'd be on track for a decade's worth of laughing-stock campaigns.
James has delivered for every team he's played for. And if you're the Lakers, what more can you ask for? The franchise hadn't made an NBA Finals appearance since James won his second league MVP in 2010.
The soon-to-be Hall of Famer himself mentioned that his mindset remains in the hunt for winning. James already has four rings in his trophy case to highlight his illustrious career.
"I know as my mind stays in it, I can play at this level for a minute," James said. "Now, that's up to my mind. ... I'm a winner, and I want to win and give myself a chance to win and still compete for championships. That has always been my passion, that has always been my goal since I entered the league as an 18-year-old kid out of Akron, Ohio."
Considering the odds aren't in the Lakers' favor, James' comments present a looming question: Is he on his way out of Los Angeles?
If James is committed to hunting his fifth title, considering his age, a departure would be wise. Anthony Davis, his current right-hand man, isn't dependable. Davis is a lock to be spotted wearing sunglasses courtside more than he is to be on the floor in a Lakers uniform. The front office has also given James little to no reason to be confident moving forward.
"Once you know how to get there, playing basketball at this level just to be playing basketball is not in my DNA," James said. "It's not in my DNA anymore."
One thing is for sure and that's the caliber of play that James has managed to maintain in year 20 of his career. He's averaged 28.5 points, 8.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists on 50.5% shooting from the field in 28 games. James has also ranked fourth in field-goal attempts made per game (11.2) behind a trio of stars who he's older than by at least 10 years -- Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid.
On Friday, James played his first game since turning 38 years old. Against the Atlanta Hawks, he supplied nothing short of dominance. James scored a season-high 47 points with 10 rebounds and nine assists en route to a 130-121 Lakers win.
