LeBron James: Declines option, should stay in L.A.

James declined his $51.4 million player option for the 2024-25 season Saturday and will become an unrestricted free agent, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.

Though he'll technically hit the open market, James is fully expected to re-sign with the Lakers on a new deal, especially after the club recently drafted his son, Bronny James, and hired his podcast partner, JJ Redick, as head coach. The terms of the 39-year-old James' upcoming deal with the Lakers aren't yet fully known, but it will likely include a no-trade clause. The four-time NBA champion defied the aging curve once again in 2023-24, appearing in 71 games -- his most since the 2017-18 season -- and averaged 25.7 points, 8.3 assists, 7.3 rebounds, 2.1 three-pointers and 1.3 steals while shooting a career-best 41 percent from downtown last season.