After six years in Los Angeles, LeBron James will don a different jersey for the 2026-27 season.
First reported by Shams Charania of ESPN, LeBron will has informed the Lakers he will be playing for a different team next season, as told to him by Klutch Sports CEO and LeBron’s agent, Rich Paul.
LeBron’s 2025-26 season was unlike any other for him or the league. No player has seen the court in their 23rd season until LeBron stepped on the floor this year. However, that debut was delayed for the first time in his career after a bout with sciatica. Once he took the court, he eventually embraced a role he had never had in his career, either as the third option.
Still, he averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game, absurd numbers for any player in the 40s, even if they were down from previous seasons. Once the playoffs rolled around, he was forced back into the first fiddle role and showed he still had something left in the tank, leading the Lakers to a win over the Rockets in the first round.
The offseason, though, did bring uncertainty about what was to come for LeBron. Entering as an unrestricted free agent, there were questions about whether the Lakers could move into the Luka Dončić era with LeBron on the roster.
There were certainly teams interested in LeBron, at least according to his agent Rich Paul. Many saw the Warriors as a realistic option. The idea of a Cavs reunion never amounted to much more than a theory.
This live story will be updated as more information is available.
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