After 23 NBA seasons, the league’s all-time leading scorer, LeBron James, is currently without a team. This was by design, as James informed the Lakers late last month that he would not be returning to Los Angeles. Once his intentions were clear, speculation immediately turned to where he might land for his 24th season. However, as we enter mid-July, James remains a free agent.
Though the expectation is that he will continue playing—with rumors linking him to a return to Cleveland, a stint in Miami, or a potential partnership with Steph Curry in Golden State—the possibility of retirement remains a topic of discussion. This conversation was frequent last season as James turned 41 years old during the final year of his Lakers contract.
Despite his current free agent status and age, Polymarket bettors are not buying the idea that James has played his last NBA game. The prospect of James calling it a career before the start of the 2026-27 season is currently trading at just 2%. By comparison, the same market had his retirement odds at over 20% back in March.
These low retirement odds align with his continued high-level performance. Even as he evolves his game, James remains a force on the court. During the 2025-26 campaign, he contributed 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.1 rebounds per game. His production actually increased during the playoffs, where he averaged 23.2 points, 7.3 assists, and 6.7 rebounds while leading Los Angeles into the second round. Clearly, for one of the game's greatest players, retirement can wait.
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