NBA 2025: Los Angeles Lakers Will Let Lebron James Decide Future, Give Redick Extension

LeBron James will be a free agent in the summer of 2026, but if he wants to continue to play for the Los Angeles Lakers, the Lakers won't hesitate to give him another contract.

As for Lakers coach JJ Redick, he already has a new deal.

General manager Rob Pelinka said Redick was given a contract extension over the summer after going 50-32 in his first season as Lakers coach. The 41-year-old first-year coach had signed a four-year, $32million deal last summer.

Pelinka made the announcement on Thursday during his season-opening press conference.

He also said if James wants to keep playing for the Lakers, they would re-sign the NBA's career scoring leader.

"The first thing we want to do in terms of LeBron and his future is just give him the absolute respect to choose his story with his family in terms of how many years he's going to continue to play," Pelinka said. "He's earned that right, and he's the best one to talk about that in terms of how many years he'd like to play. … We would love if LeBron's story would be to retire as a Laker."

The 40-year-old James is entering his record-setting 23rd NBA season after picking up his $52.6million player option in June.

In 70 games last season, he averaged 24.4 points, a team-high 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds. He was named to his 21st All-Star Game and earned All-NBA honours for a 21st time. No other player has more than 15 All-NBA selections.

This will be James' eighth season with Los Angeles, and the Lakers have high expectations with Luka Dončić in the fold from the start. 

Los Angeles acquired Dončić in a blockbuster trade in February, and the Lakers won the Pacific Division with the Western Conference's third-best record. They fizzled in the play-offs, however, and were quickly ousted by the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves in five games.

James injured his MCL in Game 5, but he is expected to be healthy for the start of the 2025-26 season, as he and Doncic will look to lead the franchise to an 18th NBA title.

Dončić agreed to a three-year, $165million maximum contract extension through 2028 in August after averaging 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists in 28 games for the Lakers.