Despite LeBron James picking up his $52.6 million player option to remain with the Los Angeles Lakers for next season, there's never been more speculation surrounding his status with the team. That's in part because no new contract was negotiated this summer to keep him there past this upcoming season,

These are all questions we won’t have answers to until next year. But as things stand, it surely feels like LeBron and the Lakers are set for their swan song. You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.