LeBron James may have a few options for a potential Year 24 in the NBA.
There are four teams interested in signing the superstar forward James for the 2026-27 season, Ashish Mathur of Lakers Daily reported on Friday. They are the incumbent Los Angeles Lakers, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Golden State Warriors, and the Dallas Mavericks.
James, now 41 years old, is making $52.6 million this season but will be an unrestricted free agent by the summer. He is currently averaging 22.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game over 29 total appearances for the 28-18 Lakers.
The Cavaliers are obviously James’ beloved former NBA team. He was drafted by them in 2003 and spent 11 total seasons there, leading Cleveland to the NBA championship in 2016. In recent weeks, we have also heard that the Cavaliers may be warming up to the potential of a James reunion for next season.
Meanwhile, the Warriors and the Mavericks are also a couple of very interesting options for the four-time champion James. Golden State have reportedly tried to trade for James multiple times over the last couple of years, and Dallas boasts several former James teammates (including Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving) and former James coaches (including Jason Kidd, Frank Vogel, and Phil Handy).
As for the Lakers, they are obviously still an option for the ex-NBA MVP James as well. But James would likely have to take a sizable and uncharacteristic paycut in order to return to Los Angeles for a ninth season.
