While it seems unlikely to play out the same as last offseason, LeBron James still looks set to return to the Lakers this offseason.

Sunday, June 29, is the deadline for LeBron James to let the Los Angeles Lakers know whether he intends to play on the final year of his contract, which would expire a year from now, or opt out in order to sign a slightly longer new contract. He has a $52.6 million player option for next season.

ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported in his latest article that James has considered retirement each offseason since 2023. So that marks three years in a row that James has thought about retiring. McMenamin goes on to say that James won't be retiring now, though, and that this might not even be his last season.