“We’re just happy he’s still a Laker”: Lakers executive on LeBron James’ opt-in

The Los Angeles Lakers’ management and fans recently breathed a sigh of relief after LeBron James’ longtime agent and Klutch Sports CEO, Rich Paul, confirmed to ESPN that James will exercise his $52.6 million player option with the franchise for the 2025–26 NBA season.

This means James will once again make history by becoming the first player in NBA history to play 23 seasons in the league. The 40-year-old is currently tied with NBA legend Vince Carter for the most seasons played.

Paul added that James is eager to win another NBA championship and will closely monitor the Lakers’ offseason moves—particularly how management positions the team to contend for the title in the upcoming season.

Despite the positive development, Lakers management has yet to officially announce James’ decision to opt in. The lack of an official statement has sparked rumors, with one NBA executive telling Hoops Wire that he finds the situation “very strange” and suspects something unusual is going on.

However, one Lakers executive opened up on the situation via Spotrac, revealing that the entire team and management are “just happy that LeBron is still a Laker.”

Kawhi Leonard x James Harden x LEBRON 🤯

Should the Lakers & Clippers make this trade to send The King across town? 🤔#LakeShow | #ClipperNation pic.twitter.com/CU3JNSkAAI

— FanDuel (@FanDuel) July 13, 2025

“Whenever you sign a player to a deal with an option, you willingly give them the control to initially guide the situation. But this notion that a player option gives the player all of the power is pretty silly. If they opt out, the team is then a partner in re-signing them or not. If they opt in, then the team is a partner in whatever happens next too. For LeBron, he had a player option and made his decision to opt in. We are just happy that he is still a Laker,” the executive said.

It is reported that the Lakers front office has not yet received any indication from James or his camp that he is seeking a trade or buyout. To their credit, the front office has been active this offseason, making a couple of smart moves—acquiring a proven center in Deandre Ayton and a strong perimeter defender in Marcus Smart.

There is no doubt that James prefers playing alongside a solid center, as evidenced by his partnership with Anthony Davis, which helped lead the Lakers to the 2020 NBA championship—his most recent title.

It will be intriguing to see whether LeBron can add a fifth NBA championship to his illustrious resume, or whether he will decide to move to another team in search of that title once his contract with the Lakers expires next season.

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