Key Points
- LeBron James told the Lakers he will leave after eight seasons, agent Rich Paul said.
- The Lakers wanted to re-sign him, but James opted to move on, per Shams Charania.
- He becomes an unrestricted free agent when negotiations open at 6 p.m. ET on June 30.
- The Warriors are pursuing James as they weigh a trade for Anthony Davis.
LeBron James will not return to the Los Angeles Lakers. James informed the franchise, through agent Rich Paul, that he intends to leave in free agency after eight seasons, ESPN's Shams Charania reported.
James becomes an unrestricted free agent once negotiations open at 6 p.m. ET on June 30, beginning his 24th NBA season in a new uniform. The Lakers expressed a desire to bring him back, but James opted to move on, per Charania.
No new team has been announced. The Golden State Warriors are the most aggressive suitor reported so far: they plan to pursue James and explore a trade for Anthony Davis to lure him to the Bay Area.
This is the cleanest break of James's career, and it ends a partnership that had already curdled. The Lakers were swept out of the first round by Oklahoma City after trading Anthony Davis for Luka Dončić in February, in what looked like James's final game in purple and gold. Leaving on his own terms at 41 — still the league's all-time leader in games played — lets him pick a contender rather than wait to be kept.
The franchise James left has since changed hands again: Josh Kushner and Bob Iger agreed to buy the Lakers at a record $12.5 billion valuation, pending approval by the NBA Board of Governors.
Source: Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports.
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