LeBron James Gets Candid About Lakers Tenure as Free Agency Decision Looms

The four-time NBA champion reflected on his eight seasons in Los Angeles as four teams remain in pursuit.

May 11, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) controls the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) during the first half in game four of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The LeBron James era of the Los Angeles Lakers is officially over, with the four-time NBA champion intent on signing elsewhere this summer to play a record-breaking 24th season in 2026-27.

Even though the league is more than two weeks into NBA free agency, James, who is expected to sign a veteran minimum contract with his next team, has yet to decide on which team he’ll play for next season.

LeBron James: Time With Lakers ‘Unbelievable Ride’

James made an appearance at Fanatics Fest on Thursday for a live taping of his Mind the Game podcast, where he made a point of it to shout out the Lakers for the eight years he spent with the storied franchise, via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

"Shoutout my former team, I spent eight great years with the Los Angeles Lakers," James said. "One of the most historical franchises in the world. Shoutout Jeanie Buss, the whole Buss family. Rob Pelinka. Everybody. All the coaches that I played for there. All my teammates. [Expletive], I am going to miss them all, obviously. So, that was an unbelievable ride and I'm just looking forward to what holds next as I wind down the final stages of my journey."

In classic LeBron fashion, the future Hall of Famer refused to give a hint about his immediate future, as the wait continues.

4 Teams Still in Pursuit of LeBron James

According to McMenamin, there are four teams still in pursuit of the superstar forward. However, there’s still no clear indication which of these may be the favorite, even though the Cleveland Cavaliers have been getting a lot of buzz for months now.

A handful of teams are very much still in the pursuit however, sources told ESPN, with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers and Golden State Warriors among them.

As the rest of the league, or at least the teams still in the running, await James’ decision in free agency, the Lakers have moved on and seem completely content with that direction.

Lakers Don’t Seem Done Making Offseason Moves

Even though the Lakers brass have made multiple trades and free agent signings this summer, the team doesn’t appear to be done, even though they now have 15 players on the roster.

All signs point to the Lakers still being in hot pursuit of wing Jonathan Kuminga, but they’ll have to pull off a sign-and-trade with the Atlanta Hawks in order to make it happen.

It remains to be seen whether that comes to fruition with the Hawks, but if it doesn’t, the team could pivot to pursuing 3-and-D wing Matisse Thybulle.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on YouTube, Facebook, X/Twitter and Instagram for the latest news.