Los Angeles Lakers: How a post-LeBron James era could look like

When may we see LeBron James retire or leave the Lakers?

Admittedly, it’s almost impossible to predict when LeBron James will retire or even decide to move on from the Los Angeles Lakers. But it would be foolish to suggest that there’s a non-zero chance that it doesn’t happen after this upcoming season. And there are a few reasons why.

For one, LeBron has been vocal about his desire to play on the same NBA team as his son, Bronny James. The fact that he suffered a cardiac arrest episode, there’s no predicting how that may have changed. And two, he can opt out of his current contract with the Lakers to test free agency. There’s also a chance he ends up retiring. LeBron will be 39 this season and that has to be a real possibility at this point in his career.

If the Lakers have another disappointing season, it wouldn’t be surprising for him to explore other options in an attempt to win one more championship. At the same rate, if the Lakers win it all, would he not think about retiring on top (as Michael Jordan did, the first time)?

At the very least, it’s something to think about. Overall, I think it’s safe to say that LeBron has maybe two years (at best) left with the Lakers. We’ll operate under that assumption.