LeBron James pauses during halftime of Game 6 in the Los Angeles Lakers’ first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center in Houston on Friday, May 1, 2026.
Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle
All the LeBron-to-the-Warriors chatter just got very interesting.
LeBron James informed the Los Angeles Lakers he will play another season in the NBA — but not for them. James told the Lakers he will play for another franchise in 2026-27, according to multiple reports Tuesday morning.
The news came barely more than 24 hours after Draymond Green declined his player option with the Golden State Warriors, amid reports the Warriors wanted to pursue James in free agency and Washington’s Anthony Davis in a trade. The Davis deal seems like a longshot, but the possibility of James joining Stephen Curry and Green with Golden State suddenly counts as a serious possibility.
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Free agency begins at 3 p.m. Tuesday.
The Lakers essentially confirmed James’ decision on X, posting a message titled “Thank you, LeBron” from team president Jeanie Buss.
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“LeBron James is one of the greatest athletes in history,” Buss wrote. “We will always be thankful for his eight years with the Lakers — including the title he led us to in 2020 under the toughest imaginable circumstances and the countless records he broke in purple and gold. We wish him all the best in the future, on the court and off. He will always be a cherished part of the Lakers family.”
About 90 minutes later, James responded by re-posting the message and thanking the Lakers in return. He wrote, “Truly a honor to wear the 💜💛 while trying to continuing the greatness & legacies that came before me! Hope I made a few proud during my stint.”
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No, THANK YOU! Truly a honor to wear the 💜💛 while trying to continuing the greatness & legacies that came before me! Hope I made a few proud during my stint. 🙏🏾🫡👑 https://t.co/RmQ6uvvgv0
— LeBron James (@KingJames) June 30, 2026
James, 41, joined the Lakers in July 2018, after previous stops with Cleveland, Miami and Cleveland again. He led Los Angeles to the NBA title in the pandemic “bubble” in Florida in 2020, and he broke Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s all-time scoring record in February 2023.
James has since pushed his regular-season total to 43,440 points, well ahead of Abdul-Jabbar (38,387).
That’s only one of many statistical illustrations conveying James’ incomparable career. He’s played in an NBA-record 23 seasons dating to 2003-04, when he made his debut as an 18-year-old with the Cavaliers. James is a 22-time All-Star, 21-time All-NBA selection, four-time MVP and four-time champion.
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If James signs with the Warriors — and they no doubt face stiff competition to land him, including potentially from his former teams in Cleveland and Miami — then next season acquires fresh urgency for Golden State. James turns 42 in December and Curry will turn 39 next March, so the Warriors obviously are hoping to make one more run at a championship in the Curry Era.
Jimmy Butler, who turns 37 in September, will miss at least half of the coming season as he recovers from a torn ACL. Green turns 37 in March.
The Warriors would need to persuade James to accept a much lower salary to play alongside Curry, Green and Butler. Golden State can offer the midlevel exception of about $15 million — a far cry from the $52.6 million James earned last season with the Lakers.
“I’m told this is a happiness-led decision for LeBron,” ESPN’s Shams Charania said on the air Tuesday. “… Wherever he lands in free agency, it will not be driven by money.”
Warriors owner Joe Lacob has long had interest in bringing another star to the Bay Area to play alongside Curry. Lacob and then-general manager Bob Myers pulled it off in 2016, when the Warriors acquired Kevin Durant — and Golden State won two championships and reached the NBA Finals three times in Durant’s three seasons with the franchise.
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The Warriors also unsuccessfully pursued Giannis Antetokounmpo for years. Then Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy landed Butler in a trade with Miami in February 2025. Butler sparked a Warriors surge down the stretch that season — they reached the Western Conference semifinals before Curry’s hamstring injury derailed their hopes.
All along, James has been the big fish lurking in the distance. Golden State faced James in the Finals in four consecutive years (2015-18) when he was with Cleveland, winning three times and losing once.
If he does come to the Warriors, teaming up with good friends Curry and Green is no doubt a big part of James’ motivation. James and Curry led the U.S. national team to an Olympic gold medal in Paris in August 2024. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr coached James and Curry on that U.S. team.
ESPN’s Charania was the first to report James’ decision to leave the Lakers.
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This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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