LeBron James said he has not yet turned his attention to whether he will play a 24th NBA season, telling listeners of his podcast “Mind the Game” that a decision on his future is unlikely before late July or August.
James enters the offseason as a free agent, giving him full control over his next destination. However, James could find it challenging to sign with a contender beyond the Los Angeles Lakers for anything similar to his contract this season.
“I’m still in the moment of just taking my time,” said James. “I haven’t even really thought about it too much. Obviously, I understand that I’m a free agent and I can control my own destiny — being here with [the Lakers] for the foreseeable future or if it’s going somewhere else.
“But like, I haven’t even really got to that point…I think at some point in June, late June, as July rolls around — free agency starts to get going and as July rolls around and maybe into August, we’ll start to kind of get a feel of what my future may look like.”
A return for a 24th season would extend James’ own record for the longest career in NBA history. He spoke alongside co-host Steve Nash on the podcast, released Thursday, more than a week after the Lakers’ second-round playoff exit against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
James said a family vacation planned after Memorial Day remains his immediate priority before any basketball decisions are made.