The Los Angeles Lakers‘ season officially wrapped up after the team lost in the Western Conference semifinals, and now, the focus is on LeBron James and whether his future is in Los Angeles.
James is 41 and the oldest active player in the NBA, so he could retire. But he’s still playing with solid numbers, so his talents are still very much of value to the NBA.
During the playoffs, James appeared in 10 games and averaged 23.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game, according to ESPN, and he also shot 51.5% from the field. Those aren’t numbers from someone ready to call it a day.
So, if James doesn’t land back with the Lakers, what other teams could snag the NBA legend?
Five landing spots for LeBron James in 2026, including the Lakers
In a Friday piece for ESPN, Bobby Marks names James the No. 1 NBA free agent of the offseason. The deal he would offer James is a one-year, $30 million contract that packs a full no-trade clause.
As for landing spots, he names five, and they all make sense. First, he has James staying with the Lakers, which does seem the most likely move. In Los Angeles, James can keep his family where they’ve been for years, plus, he can play basketball with his son, Bronny James.
The Lakers probably can’t afford to bring James back on a $50 million salary, which is where Marks’ idea of $30 million comes into play.
“A $30 million salary would allow the Lakers to re-sign Luke Kennard and Rui Hachimura and use the full $15 million non-tax midlevel exception,” Marks said. “The Lakers could also act as a cap-space team but without Hachimura and Kennard. They would then have $20 million in room plus the $9.4 million room exception.”
But let’s say it’s not the Lakers. In the case, Marks names four other teams of interest: the Cleveland Cavaliers, San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors.
Of those teams, Cleveland, Denver and Golden State are only able to offer the $3.9 million veteran minimum. That leaves the Spurs. Or, Lakers. We all know where this is heading, and it seems to be back to L.A.
Why LeBron James’ return to the Lakers makes the most sense
It’s fun to think about where James could end up for the 2026 season beyond the Lakers, but in the end, it really makes the most sense for him to return to Los Angeles.
Continuing to play basketball with Bronny is a big reason James may want to remain in L.A. In theory, Bronny could go with him to another team, but then, things get messy.
But let’s go beyond family. From a championship perspective, James isn’t going to want to try a team that doesn’t have a chance at a title. The Lakers did well last season, and their main problem in the playoffs was the absence of the injured Luka Dončić. Staying in L.A. keeps James with a strong Western Conference team and gives him a good chance to make a go at his fifth NBA title.
There’s also the old adage that if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. James just works with the Lakers, so why mess with what’s working?