The Los Angeles Lakers are very much focused on the present right now, especially with the NBA playoffs slowly approaching. But of course, LeBron James’ future and the possibility of him leaving this summer continue to hang over the franchise.
His contract will expire at the conclusion of this season, and the question is whether he will stay in town, leave or simply retire. There seems to be an increasing feeling that he won’t retire yet, but there may be more than one factor that plays into whether he will be a member of the Lakers next season.
ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania said on “Get Up” on Monday that the way this season plays out will play a big factor in what James decides to do afterward.
“LeBron hasn’t made a decision on whether he’s going to continue to play,” Charania said. “I think the feeling around LeBron James around the league is that he’s gonna go at least one more season. A lot of how the Lakers’ season finishes will play a big factor into LeBron James’ future. How does their season end? How does his season end? How is his health? How is he feeling mentally, emotionally and all that?”
James has settled into being the Lakers’ third scoring option, but he clearly still has the ability to be a star or superstar-level player when he needs to be one. With the 41-year-old making plays when needed, the Lakers have put together a six-game winning streak and have won nine of their last 10 games. In the last eight days, they have defeated the New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets.
He’s averaging 21.2 points on 50.6% field-goal shooting, 5.7 rebounds and 6.9 assists a game this season. Los Angeles is now in third place in the Western Conference and has a 43-25 record.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Shams: LeBron James’ future will hinge on outcome of this season