Lakers' LeBron James says he's unsure of his future amid NBA playoff rumors

The Los Angeles Lakers' season ended Monday with a 108-106 loss to the Denver Nuggets, and attention naturally turned to the future of LeBron James as he has a player option for the 2024-25 season.

But the king is not ready to make a decision.

As James said on Tuesday, he is unsure of what the future holds and is instead busy spending time with his family and friends after the season:

James was asked about his future after the Game 5 loss to the Nuggets and told reporters: “I don't have an answer… to be honest. I didn’t think much about it.”

He also said, “I'm not going to answer that” when asked if this was his last season with the Lakers.

There are many options for James.

For one thing, he could simply exercise the option and return to the Purple and Gold in hopes of improving upon their first-round exit this season. Or he could choose to turn it down and head to free agency, where he could then either sign with another contender or even join a team that drafts his son Bronny James.

But ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Tuesday that conversations with agent Rich Paul suggested “the idea of ​​them playing together is not a priority; She is no longer at the forefront, at least not in LeBron James’ mind.”

As for the Lakers prospect, Shams Charania, Jovan Buha and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported that they want him back “badly” and would be open to a three-year, $164 million maximum extension.

There's also the reality that the future Hall of Famer turns 40 in December and just finished his 21st season.

Maybe retirement is an option, though Paul appeared on SiriusXM NBA Radio and said he believes James has “two to three years left” in his career.

And who can argue with the legend continuing to play considering he was still among the best players in the league this season, averaging 25.7 points, 8.3 assists, 7.3 rebounds and 1, 3 steals per game while shooting 54 percent from the field and 41 percent from deep? in 2023-24.

He was still the best player on the field for much of Monday's game against the Nuggets, narrowly falling short as Jamal Murray – who also won Game 2 with a buzzer-beating shot – hit a game-winning goal in the final seconds.

It remains to be seen whether James will be back with the Lakers next season, but if he does, he could get a third chance in Denver in the postseason.