LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers won 134-127 Saturday night against the Memphis Grizzlies in a matchup for the fourth seed in the Western Conference.
Going into the contest, the teams were tied in the standings with LA possessing the tiebreaker over Memphis, but after the win Los Angeles now sits a game ahead of the Grizzlies.
James returned to his scoring habits by adding 25 points on 47.6% shooting to match eight assists, six rebounds, and three steals.
This was just the first time the 21-time All-Star scored 25+ points in a game since March 6 when he scored 31 against the New York Knicks.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James Petre Thomas-Imagn Images Petre Thomas-Imagn Images As the playoffs are set to arrive in just 20 days, speculation is already beginning to arise for players’ off-season decisions, and that includes James.
The four-time MVP has a player option worth over $50 million that he can accept with the Lakers next season, however, it seems his mind is set on a different path to returning to LA.
“LeBron will likely opt out of his $50.6 million player option, but he is not expected to leave Los Angeles,” wrote Brett Siegel of Clutch Points.
“Last offseason, James made it clear to Rob Pelinka and the Lakers front office that he would be willing to take a slight pay cut if it meant them targeting impactful talents who could increase the team’s championship odds.
He will very likely do the same this summer, allowing Los Angeles to add more talent around him and Luka Doncic.”
While Taylor Jenkins being fired is the talk of today, league personnel have already turned their attention to what will be a busy offseason with cap figures increasing.
My latest on @ClutchPoints diving into the latest free agency and trade intel: https://t.co/JFUs4oD0C0 — Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) March 28, 2025
This decision could be pivotal in signing and re-signing free agents this offseason to extend the championship window before James’ retirement.
While the date of the four-time MVP’s retirement remains unknown, the Lakers will have significant difficulty building a championship-contending roster around James and Doncic if they are receiving over $90 million combined next season.
