Feb. 16, 2026, 10:36 p.m. PT
For months, many people have been wondering whether LeBron James will end his storied NBA career once this season concludes. His contract with the Los Angeles Lakers will expire this summer, and at age 41, he may want to devote more time to other areas of his life very soon.
But while this season could very well end up being his finale with the Purple and Gold, there is a fairly strong feeling among plenty of people that he will remain in the NBA next season. He still seems to have at least some desire to win a fifth championship, and there has also been talk that he will want other teams to honor him with a retirement tour.
ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith said on “First Take” that James will definitely want a retirement tour, and for that reason, Smith isn’t buying the talk that the superstar will call it quits this offseason.
“The man is playing next year,” Smith said. “He ain’t retiring. The reason why he’s not retiring is because he wants to be celebrated. He wants to go on that tour throughout the league and be celebrated.
“… He deserves to be celebrated. This is one of the top three players in the history of basketball.”
The hot topic around the league right now regarding James’ immediate future is that he will return to the Cleveland Cavaliers this summer for a third stint with them in order to bring his career full-circle. He, of course, was drafted by the Cavaliers in 2003, and the Akron, Ohio native spent his first seven seasons with them before rejoining them for four more seasons in 2014 and bringing them their first NBA title in 2016.
Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!
It would seem to make sense that James would want to not only receive a retirement tour but also have one as a member of his original team. However, there is the reality of the league’s very restrictive salary cap, as well as the question of how badly he wants to win one more ring.
The Cavaliers aren’t much better, if at all, than the Lakers right now. Cleveland is in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, while Los Angeles is in fifth place in the somewhat more competitive Western Conference, and Cleveland has less star power and perhaps less depth than L.A.
If James does indeed return to where it all started for him, it would be very difficult, if not nearly impossible, for the Cavs to immediately assemble a championship-caliber cast around him. According to spotrac.com, they’re still over the second apron of the salary cap, and once the new league year starts, they will only be roughly $870,000 under the second apron.