LeBron James, 40, remains one of the best players in the NBA.
Along with Luka Donsic, LeBron James is considered the most talented player of the Los Angeles Lakers.
However, the Lakers are dealing with Don Sic clearly shows that the franchise is preparing for life after James’ retirement.
James hasn’t yet announced his retirement, but there are other factors the Lakers will consider regarding their 10-time NBA finalists.
James currently has one of the best contracts in the league with no trade provisions. In the past, it would not have been questionable whether James would choose his option.
However, given that he is already 40, it is questionable whether it means that it will be his last NBA season.
La Lakers insider Anthony Irwin recently announced two scenarios he saw for James if he chose the $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 NBA season.
“If he opts in, it would indicate he is considering retirement as he can make a clean cut at the end of the season,” Irwin said on the Buha block podcast.
But what if he signed one or more contracts, as he had in the past?
“If he signs one plus one, if he wants to retire in the second year of that contract, (IT) will call him like a Green Goblin Mask,” Irwin added.
Irwin used a popular pop culture reference from Spider-Man movies where he often saw Green Goblins (aka Green Goblins) in a seductive battle with masks.
In doing so, Lakers insiders implied that if James signed an additional two-year contract, he would not be able to dodge the temptation to retire before completing his NBA contract.
After all, the Lakers are James’ third team in his NBA career, and the 4X NBA MVP has never requested a deal. So James has always played his whole contract.
Even the slightest chance that James will opt out of his contract and become one of the top free agents this summer will seduce many teams around the NBA.
But what happens if he opts out to sign a new deal? Or if he takes the route for Carl Malone and signs a veteran minimum contract?
“Some of the people I spoke to with the Lakers said it wasn’t the way they dealt with core superstars,” Irwin continued.
He concluded: “So they will likely meet LeBron’s demands.
Now this is going to be an interesting situation. After all, if James cuts his salary, it would certainly improve his and Don Sic’s chances of winning the NBA championship.
But does he deserve less money? Certainly not. LBJ averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game in his 22nd year of his illustrious NBA career.