With LeBron James turning 41 in 2026, many are questioning whether he will return to the NBA for another season. And if the answer is yes, will he be gearing up for another year in purple and gold, joining a new team, or perhaps returning home?
There have been rumors of a potential return to the Cleveland Cavaliers for James, although nothing is concrete yet. He would still be a valuable addition. He may have lost some of his edge and is no longer in his prime, but he is still going strong.
The NBA community, for one, is not ready to say goodbye to the man who has been the face of the league for two decades. His old friend and former teammate Dwyane Wade, for one, has even suggested he would try to convince James to play for his NBA team.
“If he has life at this trade deadline to make that last push, I don’t think this is his last year,” claimed Wade on The Diesel on the Big Shaq.
That deadline has long since passed. It does seem like something is not clicking for the Lakers, but that appears to be more of a team chemistry issue than a case of James being too old for the game.
“What’s the max you think he can keep playing?” asked podcast co-host Adam Lefkoe “I think two. I think he can play two more,” answered Wade. And to clarify, he meant two more in addition to this season. Funnily enough, the Flash got funny with his next response.
“And I got a team I would like for him to go to if he wants to play two more,” he said, referring to the Utah Jazz, a team he is a minority owner of. As fun as a Wade and LeBron reunion would be, it is hard to imagine the King of basketball ending his career in Utah.
The funny thing about LeBron is that the “final season” talk seems to pop up every year, and he just keeps coming back and producing. Maybe Wade is right and he has a couple more seasons in him, maybe he doesn’t. Either way, it feels like LeBron will be the one who decides when it’s over.
And whenever that moment comes, whether it is with the Lakers, the Cavs, which would feel like a more fitting finale than the Jazz, or some other team, it is going to be a shot to the heart that will be impossible to get over.