Rob Pelinka left the door open to LeBron James remaining with the Los Angeles Lakers for the remainder of his career if the future Hall of Famer chooses to do so. James picked up his $52.6 million option for the Lakers in June, but Rich Paul’s statement opened up speculation that he could exit the franchise either during this past offseason or in 2026.
“The first thing we want to do in terms of LeBron and his future is just give him absolute respect to choose his story with his family in terms of how many years he’s going to continue to play,” Pelinka said at his season-opening news conference. “He’s earned that right.”
Pelinka was asked if the Lakers would be interested in re-signing James during the 2026 offseason when he becomes a free agent.
“We would love if LeBron’s story would be he retired a Laker,” Pelinka said, echoing a sentiment he has shared before. “That would be a positive story.”
The Lakers have been clear in their intent to build around Luka Doncic following his trade from the Dallas Mavericks in February.
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