Skip to main content

Rich Paul Shares Whether He Has Insight Into LeBron James's Plans for 2026 Season


Contrary to popular belief, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James will not play forever.

Despite an All-NBA selection in his age-40 season, James is simply not producing at the levels he hit as recently as the early 2020s. It's a testament to James's once-in-a-lifetime skill that a down year for him is an up year for most players.

Should he return in 2026, he'd play his 23rd season—giving him sole possession of that all-time NBA record. He has a decision to make—and on Thursday agent Rich Paul revealed on The Rich Eisen Show just how little he knew ab out his longtime friend's machinations.

"I have no idea—zero," Paul told Eisen. "Normally our process is [to] kind of weigh everything and see how he's feeling and all those type of things. ... He'll come around to what he's thinking at some point and we'll kind of go over some things and go from there."

James, the holder of a $52.6 million player option next season, has multiple paths available to him. He could walk away right now, his legacy as one of this century's greatest athletes assured. He could pick up the option and play 2026 for the Lakers, or decline it and play anyway for either Los Angeles or another team. He could hold out until 2027 or beyond, setting the statistical bar intimidatingly high for the next James figure to take basketball by storm.< /p>

Whatever happens, it would appear that Paul might not learn his client's fate too long before the public does.

More NBA on Sports Illustrated

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

NBA Monday Morning Shootaround: LeBron James, The Hunger Games, and More - Bleacher Report

Welcome to the "Monday Morning Shootaround," Bleacher Report's recap of the weekend that was in the NBA. Along with getting you caught up on the weekend’s playoff action, we’ll give you a sneak preview of what could potentially be the greatest basketball book of all time, show you the best 70-year-old playground superstar ever, and tell you about a young star that just might choose religion over the fame and fortune of the NBA. The Opening Tip * ABC cameras caught LeBron James reading The Hunger Games before the Miami Heat played the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. Shortly thereafter, the Miami Heat small forward proceeded to go into full Katniss Everdeen mode to the tune of 40 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists as the Heat pulled out a hard-fought 101-93 victory. After a slow start, Heat guard Dwyane Wade finished with 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists of his own. But Sunday afternoon was all about James and his gaudy numbers, virtually all of which we...
Post a Comment
Read more

Breaking Down the Differences Between LeBron James and Kevin Durant - Bleacher Report

LeBron James and Kevin Durant are being coined as "the future of the NBA 's next generation." That is certainly true, but they aren't exactly on the same level. LeBron and Durant are two different players, who bring varying skills to different facets of the game. Instead of just comparing them in a "who's the best" fashion, let's take a minute and break down which player excels in each and every facet of the game of basketball. Ahead is a breakdown of the differences that exist between LeBron and Durant.  Scoring Ronald Martinez/Getty Images LeBron 2011-12 Per-Game Stats: 27.1 points, 53.1 FG%, 36.3 3P%, 77.1 FT% Durant 2011-12 Per-Game Stats: 28.0 points, 49.6 FG%, 38.7 3P%, 86.0 FT% Scoring is what Kevin Durant does. It's not only his specialty, it's also what makes him such a dangerous and elite player. With that being said, LeBron isn't exactly a slouch on the offensive side of the...
Post a Comment
Read more

Luka Dončić joins LeBron James, Magic Johnson and Jerry West as only Lakers to post 30 points and 15 assists in a game

LeBron James joined a club of one on Tuesday , while Luka Dončić joined a club of four. With 30 points and a Lakers career-high 15 assists, Luka Dončić became only the fourth player in Lakers history to post those totals in a single game in a 136-115 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. The other three: James, Magic Johnson and Jerry West. We'll call that a solid group. That performance included a stretch of three straight 3-pointers to set the tone in the first quarter. It was once again the LeBron and Dončić (LeBrončić?) show, as Dončić's co-star posted 34 points on 10-of-18 shooting, eight rebounds and six assists. Center Jaxson Hayes also had one of the best games of his Lakers career, scoring 19 points on a perfect 8-of-8 shooting plus 10 rebounds. Dončić was two points away from tying his Lakers career high in points as well, and likely would have gotten it had L.A. not taken its foot off the gas in the fourth quarter. After a back-and-forth first half in which the P...
Post a Comment
Read more