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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 11: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers warms up before the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Four of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on May 11, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Lakers have a decision to make regarding LeBron James‘ future. For the last eight seasons, he has played in Los Angeles. Now, he is a free agent. He has a chance to move on and spend the final seasons of his career somewhere else.

James seems to prefer to play in Los Angeles. He loves living in that city, and he seems to like the team around him, as well. Playing next to Luka Doncic gives him a decent shot to win a title next season. However, LA might not want him back, especially if he doesn’t want to take a pay cut.

Rich Paul, James’ agent, recently revealed how many other teams have called about possibly getting James to play for them.

Rich Paul Claims 10-12 Teams Have Called About LeBron James

While appearing on the Pat McAfee Show, Paul claims that 10-12 teams have reached out to him about James.

“There has been incoming calls from every team with the excitement of him possibly playing for them. So at 41 years of age, going on 42, that’s something to be extremely proud about. It’s one of those things where it’s like, ‘Wow, even at 42 I’m still wanted…Without naming names, I would say 10-12.”

The number of teams that have called about James seems high, but Paul wants to have as many teams as possible that seem interested in him. Of course, he is still one of the greatest players to ever play basketball. Teams can call about him, even if they might not have a chance to sign him.

If the Lakers decide not to keep him, James will likely look for a team that can compete for a championship. Cleveland, Golden State, and Miami have all been teams brought up regarding him. Golden State and Miami are hunting for a star to compete for a championship.

The Lakers Will Bring Back LeBron James on One Condition

There is still a chance Los Angeles decides to bring James back. The only way they bring him back is if James is going to be willing to take a pay cut. That remains to be seen, as he rarely takes pay cuts. The only one he has really taken was when he signed with Miami.

The Lakers are more concerned with bringing back Austin Reaves than anything else. He is the biggest priority for them in free agency. Once he is signed, Rob Pelinka will start to evaluate how much money they have left before they look at the rest of the roster.

This roster could look a lot different next year with the number of free agents that the team has. Of course, figuring out the best way to use their cap space, which could be limited once Reaves re-signs, will be hard. Pelinka has some tough decisions on the horizon.