LeBron James will leave the Lakers and hit the free agent market

ESPN’s Shams Charania was first to report that James told the Lakers that he would be leaving the team and entering free agency, quoting his agent Rich Paul. Other NBA insiders echoed that news.

A representative from James’ representation, Klutch Sports Group, confirmed the news in an email to CNN Sports and declined to comment further than Paul’s remarks to ESPN.

James, 41, said after the Lakers’ elimination this spring that he didn’t know what the future would bring. Charania’s report stated that James would not be retiring and would be looking to play for a new team next season.

The rumor mill will kick into high gear about where James’ next destination could be. He’s long been rumored to return to Cleveland for one more run with the team that drafted him and with which he won a title in 2016. However, a number of other teams will have the requisite cap space to sign him, including the Golden State Warriors.

The reports indicate he has not yet decided on a team. Negotiations between players and teams can begin at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday and players can officially sign with teams beginning at 12:01 a.m. ET on Monday though news of agreements could be reported before then.

James will be entering his 24th NBA season, extending his NBA record. In addition to the Cavaliers and Lakers, James also spent four seasons with the Miami Heat.

He’ll leave the Lakers after eight years of mostly mixed results. His tenure began with an NBA championship in his second year in Hollywood, winning the title in the Covid-19-induced bubble. Since then, he’s broken multiple NBA records in the purple and gold, including becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.

He was never able to bring the Lakers back to that championship level after that 2020 season, even after the team added Luka Dončić in a blockbuster trade in 2025. The Lakers were swept in the second round this season by the Oklahoma City Thunder.