Will LeBron James Retire After Lakers' Elimination to Thunder?

Down one with seconds remaining in Game 4 of an elimination game, LeBron James tried to put on the cape one more time.

James drove to the basket against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder on his home court in Los Angeles, trying to extend the series to a Game 5, but maybe for one of the first times in his career, Father Time beat him.

What would have been a decade ago, James thundering to the rim with hatred fueling him to either put the ball in the net or force them to foul him, was not what we saw on Monday.

James broke towards the basket but tried to bank in a shot to give his team the lead over numerous Thunder defenders, rimming out and effectively ending the Lakers’ series and campaign.

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As the legend walked off the court, fans online wondered if this would be the final time James would play an NBA game. Although still an effective player in the league, the four-time champion is an unrestricted free agent this summer and has time to decide whether he wants to put himself through another season.

Per Kalshi, the prediction website, they have James’ current odds of announcing retirement from professional basketball at 27% before the start of next season.

If James doesn’t retire, it opens the door to where he would play next and whether he will return to the Lakers. While neither Los Angeles nor any other franchise would seem interested in paying James his current contract value of $50 million per year, there would be a line of teams intrigued by half that value for a short-term deal.

In the case he returns, look for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors to be the key franchises floated during the offseason as potential landing spots for the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer.

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This story was originally published May 11, 2026 at 11:23 PM.