NBA fans everywhere are starting to wonder exactly how LeBron James‘ historic career will end. It doesn’t feel like this is LeBron’s final NBA season, but it is his last season under contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Will James return to LA next season, or go elsewhere, perhaps re-joining his beloved Cleveland Cavaliers for a final era?
Some interesting intel surfaced on Thursday regarding a potential Lakers return for LeBron.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Lakers are “almost certainly” going to ask James to take a significant pay cut if he wants to return to Los Angeles in 2026-27.
James has built one of the most remarkable careers in NBA history. Drafted first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003, he quickly established himself as a dominant force, earning Rookie of the Year honors and leading the team to its first NBA Finals appearance in 2007.
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After moving to the Miami Heat in 2010, James captured his first two championships in 2012 and 2013, along with back-to-back MVP awards and Finals MVPs. He returned to Cleveland in 2014, delivering the city’s first major sports title in over half a century by orchestrating the historic 3-1 Finals comeback against the Golden State Warriors in 2016, earning another Finals MVP.
James joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018, securing his fourth ring in 2020 while adding a Finals MVP. He surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in 2023 and continues to hold records for the most All-Star selections (21) and All-NBA honors (21), including 13 First Team nods.
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Now in his 23rd season at age 41 with the Lakers, James remains productive in the 2025-26 campaign.
The Lakers faced a tough loss in his emotional return to Cleveland on January 28, where a tribute video moved him to tears amid speculation about his future. James’s sustained excellence across three franchises cements his status among the game’s all-time greats.
Featured image via Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Imagn Images
