LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers held no discussions on deals that would have added years to his contract either by way of extension or with him opting out and signing a new contract, sources tell The Athletic. James and his camp also indicated several months ago that they would not be willing to consider taking a discount as he offered last offseason.
The Lakers are maintaining flexibility in building around Luka Doncic over the medium-term. James turns 41 in December and isn't sure how many seasons he wants to continue playing. James, however, has remained an All-NBA player.
James picked up his $52.6 million player option with the Lakers for the 2025-26 season with Rich Paul explaining that his client is concerned about whether the team is competing for a championship.
Some rival executives wondered to The Athletic that this could be a precursor to requesting a trade from the Lakers.