Category: Sports News

LeBron James looks set to leave the Los Angeles Lakers, with ESPN reporting he has told the team he will continue his NBA career but with a different team.

James will turn 42 during the 2026-27 season but his long-time representative, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, said the 22-time All-Star intends to continue his playing career. However, he intends to do so away from the Lakers, with whom he won a championship in 2020.

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Reports on Monday indicated the Golden State Warriors are looking to sign James, setting up a union with his old rivals Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. The Warriors are also understood to be looking at signing Anthony Davis. The window for free agency negotiation opens at 6pm ET on Tuesday.

James is a 22-time All-Star, claiming the honor every year from 2005 to 2026 and has been league MVP four times, a total bettered only by Michael Jordan, Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. James’s longevity – and brilliance – means he owns a host of NBA records, including most minutes played, most points scored and most All-Star appearances.

Across his career he has averaged 26.8 points per game, 7.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists. He has also played long enough that last season his eldest son, Bronny, became his teammate at the Lakers.

Rumors are rumors until they’re not, and today they very much became “not.”

Let’s set the scene. Free agency is about to open up and within minutes the timeline turns into a fireworks show. Shams Charania drops the bomb: LeBron James is continuing his career for 2026-27, and he’s told the Lakers directly that they can move on without him because he’s going to play somewhere else. Read that again. Not “exploring his options.” Not “evaluating the market.” He told the Lakers it’s over. That’s not a rumor floating around a group chat. That’s a WRAP.

And here’s where Golden State fans should sit up straight. Hours before that bombshell, Draymond Green declined his $27.6 million player option. For weeks, league sources made clear that move only happens if it unlocks real financial flexibility, the kind you use to chase a difference-maker, not the kind you use to save a few bucks on a bench piece. Green doesn’t walk away from guaranteed money for nothing. He walks away from it when the front office whispers “we might actually have a shot at something.”

Now stack Kristaps Porzingis re-signing on a two-year, $40 million deal right behind it. On the surface that complicates the math for fitting James under the full $15.1 million midlevel exception. But complicated isn’t the same as impossible, and the Warriors have spent the better part of a year quietly building toward exactly this kind of swing. Green, James, and Anthony Davis all share an agent in Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, which is the NBA equivalent of three people having the same group chat where the real decisions get made.

Here’s the part that should make your palms sweat a little. League sources believe Davis could be the actual lure, not James himself. James and Davis won a title together in 2020 and remain close. If Golden State can find a path to put both of them in the Bay, you’re not talking about a depth move. You’re talking about reshaping the entire Western Conference power structure overnight.

But let’s not skip the part that makes this complicated and human. Any realistic Davis package almost certainly runs through Jimmy Butler, who is four months removed from ACL surgery and has heard the trade rumors before. His agent, meanwhile, insists the organization remains committed to him through rehab.

That tension, wanting championship upside while owing loyalty to a guy who bled for this team, is the real story here. Not just “will LeBron come.” It’s “what is this front office willing to risk, and who is willing to walk so this gamble pays off.”

Today was supposed to be speculation. Instead, it was the first domino. Buckle up.

LeBron James is continuing his record-setting NBA career, but he won’t do it with the Lakers.

The 41-year-old superstar informed the Lakers he felt it was best to part ways, The Times confirmed. James, who will extend his own NBA record for seasons played to 24, is pursuing a contract with another NBA team, according to people familiar with the situation but not authorized to discuss it publicly.

James averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game last season for the Lakers while claiming a slew of NBA records, including marks for games played, all-time wins and field goals made. After eight seasons with the Lakers, he became an unrestricted free agent and flirted with retirement. Despite his age, he was still considered one of the top free agents in a relatively pedestrian class.

James earned his record 22nd All-Star appearance last season, maintained his streak of averaging more than 20 points per game every season of his career and willed a shorthanded Lakers team past the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs last season.

Read more:Plaschke: For the sake of their future, Lakers should bid farewell to LeBron James

But he also gave up ground in his decades-long bout with Father Time.

James missed the first 14 games of the season while dealing with a right sciatic nerve issue, marking the first time in his career that he wasn’t ready to suit up for the season opener. His 15.3 field goal attempts per game was a career low, and he was ineligible for end-of-season awards because he missed 22 regular-season games, ending his streak of 21 years with All-NBA honors.

The Lakers needed James to reach the second round of the Western Conference playoffs last season — when the team was without star Luka Doncic for the entire postseason — but the NBA’s all-time leading scorer was set to take a supporting role within the franchise.

Doncic, 27, remains the top priority for the Lakers. Doncic signed a three-year, $165-million contract extension last summer. The Lakers also wanted to keep 28-year-old Austin Reaves, who declined a player option to position himself for a well-deserved raise during a critical summer for the Lakers.

With eight players from last year’s roster entering unrestricted free agency or holding player options, the Lakers were in position to completely remake their roster around Doncic two offseasons after the Slovenian superstar landed in the Lakers’ laps in a mind-blowing trade with the Dallas Mavericks.

President of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka said after the season that the roster would be “retrofitted” around Doncic, meaning the Lakers wanted to target athletic, defensive-minded wings, knock-down shooters and a rim-running center.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

LeBron James has informed the Los Angeles Lakers that he will not be playing for them next season. He’s permitted them to move on without him, as he plans on changing teams for the fourth time in his multi-decade-long career.

James is no stranger to dominating free agency. His name has been thrown around for weeks as various teams, including the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors, wondered if they could pry him from LA. The first step is complete.

Now for the finale.

The Warriors emerged as real threats to acquire James this week. They’ve been reworking their roster to pave the way for a free agency signing. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported today that the Warriors are primarily focused on signing James once free agency opens up at 6 PM Eastern.

Marc Stein has also listed the Warriors as the frontrunners to sign LeBron.

Seeing James in a Warriors uniform would undoubtedly break the hearts of every Ohioan. There are certain unwritten rules to sports, and fans will understandably be upset to see James finish his career with a team that was arguably his biggest rival throughout.

Nonetheless, Cavs fans can cling to hope that this is shaping up for another homecoming. James ending his reign in Cleveland is the storybook ending that many have predicted. The door is now as open as it’s ever been for James to complete that dream and fill a massive hole in the roster while he does it.

Cleveland needs support on the wing. Preferably someone who can handle the ball and accomplish multiple things on offense. James ticks that box to perfection. He might not be an elite defensive player anymore, but he has the size and veteran-savvy of someone who can still make a difference.

Adding James in free agency is the ultimate win for the Cavs. They don’t need to give up any assets to acquire him via trade anymore. The pairing works on paper and is a narrative success that bodes well for LBJ’s legacy. All that’s left is to sign on the dotted line and make this happen.

Buckle up. James will be on a new team soon.

The King is coming back — We just don't know where.

NBA icon LeBron James, the league’s all-time leading scorer, has reportedly agreed to return to the NBA, according to initial reporting from ESPN's Shams Charania. This brings him back for the 2026-27 season, which will be his 24th and will extend his record for most seasons played in NBA history.

"LeBron James will continue his NBA career for the 2026-27 season and has informed the Los Angeles Lakers that the franchise can move on without him because he will play elsewhere, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN," Charania wrote on X.

This comes in the wake of Los Angeles getting swept in the Western Conference semifinals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, a series in which the Lakers were missing star player and NBA leading scorer Luka Dončić.

James will become an unrestricted free agent after he played the final season of his contract in 2025-26, which was a player option. James and his agent, Rich Paul, had acknowledged in June 2025 that the Lakers were building for the future – a future that seemingly may not have included James.

The Knicks are NBA champions, but they aren’t resting on their laurels.

New York completed the 2026 NBA Draft with a couple of second-round rookies added to the organization, but failed to land a big man through two rounds of silliness. That could have been no problem had any of Mitchell Robinson or Ariel Hukporti been re-signed, but the former looks like a goner, and the latter is already set to become a UFA later today.

Enter Keith Palek III, who’s not your typical big but still long enough to fill a frontcourt.

According to ESPN’s Josh Hennig, Palek signed a free-agent deal with the Knicks to play for their Summer League team after going undrafted.

“Palek III is joining the Knicks for practice July 4th weekend, and will be flying out with the team to Las Vegas for the 2026 NBA Summer League. He received interest from the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons, but decided to sign with the 2025-26 NBA Champions.”

The agreement actually happened on June 25, less than two weeks after New York beat the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals and ended its 53-year championship drought, but nobody seemingly realized. Yikes!

Palek is a 6-foot-9 forward from Woodbine, New Jersey, and a St. Augustine Prep graduate. He also took a much longer route to this point than most players who wind up wearing an NBA practice jersey in Las Vegas.

Palek began his college career at Division II California University of Pennsylvania, where he averaged 12.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists across 88 games. His final season there was limited to six games because of injury, but he still averaged 18.8 points before transferring to Missouri State for his last year of eligibility.

The jump to Division I worked out about as well as he could have hoped, as Palek led Missouri State in scoring at 17.3 points per game, finished second on the team with 6.4 rebounds per game, and led the Bears with 121 total assists. He also made 40 three-pointers (albeit shooting 25.5% from beyond the arc on 157 attempts), finished second on the team with 33 steals, and earned second-team All-Conference USA honors.

Palek became the first Missouri State player to finish a season with at least 500 points, 200 rebounds, and 100 assists. Missouri State finished 16-18 overall and 8-12 in Conference USA, so this was not exactly a national-stage breakout, but the production was real.

According to ESPN’s report, the Bears’ standout also had some NBA interest before landing with the Knicks. He worked out for the Boston Celtics in May, and he told the Daily Citizen that the Detroit Pistons invited him to a workout before flight cancellations kept it from happening. Suck it!

“I feel NBA scouts liked my size and versatility, the ability to play multiple positions and play different roles,” Palek said.

When it comes to Palek’s added value to the Summer League squad, he will bring some much-needed size, strong overall production across the board, passing touch, and enough shooting to justify a look, even though the efficiency isn’t that great, as he seems to love any and every shot he takes.

The Knicks’ Summer League roster is expected to include several players already familiar to the organization and fans alike, including guards Tyler Kolek and Pacome Dadiet, wing Kevin McCullar Jr., and big Mo Diawara, along with incoming rookies Jack Kiyan and Tyler Nickel. No, I didn’t forget Ariel Hukporti—he just doesn’t belong anymore. That said, it will feature St. John’s guard Oziyah Sellers. Yay!

New York is scheduled to open Summer League play in Las Vegas against the Brooklyn Nets on July 10, followed by games against the Spurs on July 11, Pistons on July 13, and Warriors on July 16.

Welcome to New York, Keith!

You can follow Antonio on Twitter at @chapulana.

After eight years in Los Angeles, LeBron James will don a different jersey for the 2026-27 season.

First reported by Shams Charania of ESPN, LeBron 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.

Whether a sign of respect or not, LeBron has never informed the team he’s leaving that he will not be playing for them the next season. It affords the Lakers the chance to head into the offseason fully aware they need to replace him on the roster.

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.

Golden State became a very notable option for LeBron immediately preceding the start of free agency. The franchise was looking to pair LeBron with Anthony Davis and form the NBA’s version of the Expendables. It was enough of a threat to the Lakers that it prompted them to have a conversation with LeBron after the two sides had largely not spoken since the start of free agency.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

LeBron James’ time in Tinseltown has come to an end. 

In a stunning move that has shocked the NBA world, James has informed the Lakers that he will finish out his NBA career elsewhere and that the Lakers are free to move on without him this offseason, according to his agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul.

James’ decision as an unrestricted free agent ends his longest consecutive tenure with a franchise, with his eight straight seasons with the Lakers outlasting the first seven seasons of his NBA career he spent with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Rumors are swirling that James could join the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco. The belief that James could become the King in the North came as Draymond Green declined his $27.7 million player option with the Warriors to become a free agent.

If Green re-signs with the Warriors for less money, they’d have the financial flexibility to offer James the $15.1 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception.

Meanwhile, fans of the Lakers and LeBron were freaking out at the news online — splitting into two clearly divided camps.

“Honestly, this was best for both sides,” one user posted on X. “I know there will be fans saying how his production will be missed this season and etc., but in life there is always a time and place for everything.” 

One camp of Lakers fans is rejoicing, hailing the decision by the oldest player in the NBA to take his talents elsewhere in a move described as “absolute cinema.” 

“Thank the basketball gods. Best news ever for us Lakers fans!” a fan said. 

More coverage on LeBron James

• LeBron James leaving Lakers in NBA free agency as Golden State Warriors rumors swirl
• Warriors master offseason plan includes LeBron James and Anthony Davis
• LeBron James’ silence leaves Lakers in the lurch ahead of NBA free agency
• Lakers need LeBron James, and he needs them. It’s time to get deal done
• Jimmy Butler’s agent pushes back on Warriors trade rumors amid Anthony Davis buzz

While the other camp was clearly hurt by the news.

“Ummm im going back to sleep! its not even the first and our season is already OVER,” one wrote on X, referring to the Lakers star potentially leaving the team.

“Whatever jersey LeBron wears next, the entire basketball world will be watching,” another fan said on X.

The 41-year-old James averaged 25.9 points, 7.9 assists, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.2 steals since joining the Lakers as a free agent in 2018.

James had a Hall-of-Fame worthy run with the Lakers: eight-time All-Star; seven-time All-NBA honoree, NBA champion, and NBA Finals MVP in 2020 and NBA Cup champion in 2023.

He also surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time regular-season scoring record (38,387) on Feb. 7, 2023, now sitting at 43,440 regular-season points scored after an unprecedented 23rd NBA season.

James ended his second tenure with the Cavaliers and signed a four-year, $154 million deal with the Lakers during the 2018 offseason. 

The first season didn’t go as hoped, with James suffering a groin injury on Dec. 25, 20218 that sidelined him for 17 straight games, marking the first major injury of his career, with the Lakers missing the 2018-19 season.

After an offseason retooling, which included trading for star big man Anthony Davis and replacing Luke Walton with Frank Vogel as the head coach, James and the Lakers bounced back in 2019-20, winning the 2020 NBA title.

The relationship between James and the Lakers has had its rifts throughout the decade. But at each pivotal turn, the two sides came back to each other.

But not this time. 

The Lakers wanted to bring James back, but it wasn’t their No. 1 priority as they looked to build the ideal roster around superstar Luka Doncic, who supplanted James as the face of the franchise after he was traded to Los Angeles in February 2025.

And James, after helping restore the Lakers to relevancy, will close out his career elsewhere.

“LeBron James is one of the greatest athletes in history,” Lakers owner Jeanie Buss said in an X post.

“We will always be thankful for his eight years with the Lakers — including the title he led us to in 2020 under the toughest imaginable circumstances and the countless records he broke in purple and gold.”

“We wish him all the best in the future, both on the court and off,” Buss added. “He will always be a cherished part of the Lakers family.”

James responded to the post, keeping it short and sweet. “No, THANK YOU!” He wrote.

“Truly a honor to wear the [purple and gold] while trying to continuing the greatness & legacies that came before me! Hope I made a few proud during my stint.”

Luka Dončić paid homage to the star on Instagram, sharing a photo of he and James hugging with the caption, “An honor to play with and learn from you @kingjames.”

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