Report: LeBron James to Pick Up 2026 Player Option. What Does It Means for Lakers Offseason?

Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers · May 28, 2025 · 35m

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, LeBron James plans to pick up his player option for 2026, worth about $52.5 mil. While Shams noted there's still time for things to change, this appears to be the most likely outcome for LeBron and the Lakers. And in some ways, it's the most expected, given the options. While there was always the dream (pipe dream, really) that James might leave about $20 mil on the table so that the Lakers would have access to a larger mid-level exception, that's always felt like a longshot. It's also always been unlikely that James would decline the option and leave for…