Report: LeBron James, Lakers, have mutual interest in new contract

Now that the Los Angeles Lakers ' 2026 playoff run is over, the biggest question hanging over them is whether LeBron James will stay with them for next season. He is about to become a free agent, and there has been lots of speculation for almost the last 12 months that he could end up leaving this summer. The Lakers should be able to offer him more money than any other team he's expected to consider signing with, but it has been unknown how much he wants to stay and how much the Lakers truly want him to stay.

On Tuesday, one day after L. A. 's 115-110 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals, the first indication may have come.

According to an article in The Athletic by Dan Woike and Sam Amick, both parties are interested in "continuing their partnership. " However, doing so would require balancing out some complicated math, especially since the team needs to re-sign other free agents, including rising star guard Austin Reaves. "Both James and the Lakers, according to team and league sources, have interest in continuing their partnership (Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss have both said they hope James’ career ends with the Lakers).

But Golden State and Cleveland could try to lure the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in an effort to win now – especially if James senses the Lakers are set on moving on in a different direction without him. "Team sources still believe there are avenues for the roster to improve substantially if the Lakers retain both James and Reaves this summer, no matter how narrow those pathways might appear. " James will almost certainly have to take a pay cut in order to remain with Los Angeles, or, in all likelihood, to go to another team.