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Rich Paul urges people to ‘appreciate the present’ with Lakers’ LeBron James
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- Rich Paul urges people to ‘appreciate the present’ with Lakers’ LeBron James
The post Rich Paul urges people to 'appreciate the present' with Lakers' LeBron James appeared first on ClutchPoints .
Heading into his 23rd NBA season, Los Angeles Lakers All-Star LeBron James , through his agent, Rich Paul, says he's focused on the 2025-26 campaign. Paul says the present is imperative for James , which suggests the upcoming season could determine James' future with the Lakers as he enters the final season of his two-year, $104 million contract, worth $52.6 million.
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Paul says maximizing James' supporting cast is in the Lakers' best interest, he said, via ESPN's Shams Charania on NBA Today.
"Seeing how this year plays out, it's clear he's not sure whether he has one year left. Does he have another season after that, 2026-27? I did speak to his agent, Rich Paul , at Clutch Sports today. And he told me it's important not to worry about the future when it comes to LeBron James ," Charania said. "Just appreciate the present and also maximizing his present. And that, obviously, that onus, potentially falling on the Lakers, and what team they put around him."
How the Lakers fare in a competitive Western Conference led by the champion Oklahoma City Thunder should determine what's next for James. However, his second son, Bryce James, could also factor into whether James plays beyond next season, albeit with the Lakers or elsewhere, Charania added.
"It's obvious. How does he feel about the Lakers going into the season as the year continues on? Can they be a contender moving forward? And I think the other thing that also sits here as well is Bryce James is going to start his freshman year at college," Charania added. "How does he look? How does he look as a prospect? How does he play into the 2026 NBA Draft? These are all things, I think, LeBron James is going to be reminded of."
LeBron James' retirement has NBA execs conflicted on Lakers
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Lakers All-Star LeBron James' potential retirement has NBA executives conflicted as to what's next for the future Hall of Fame forward beyond this upcoming season. James could retire or join a new team . While some predict LeBron stays with the Lakers if he decides to continue his career, others expect him to bail, according to ESPN's latest NBA preseason survey, per Tim Bontemps.
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"If I was taking the Lakers or the field," an Eastern Conference scout said, via Bontemps, "I'd take the field. But I'll take the Lakers over any specific team, especially given they are the one with a clear path to pay him."
The Lakers will host the Suns in their preseason opener on October 3.
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