No one wants 40-year-old James? Two powerful men are still pursuing him crazy, no wonder he dares to execute the contract

When a tour of China a while ago, Lakers star LeBron James was asked about his retirement plan. James did not respond positively, but said he was full of expectations for the 23rd season. During the offseason, James implemented his own player option instead of jumping out of the contract and returning to the team with the Lakers again, which made many fans and media think that James is really preparing to retire after playing for another season. Some dark guys even said that this is because the Lakers don’t want to renew James at all. 40-year-old James also knows that no team will want him, so he can only choose to execute the player option and retire after playing for the last year.

But is this really the case? Judging from the news that continued to be revealed later, most media and league executives believe that James will play for at least two more seasons. As for 40-year-old James, no one wants it, it is even more nonsense. Not to mention the few other teams, the Warriors have been trying to trade James in recent seasons, and the Warriors boss will ask the Lakers for the price almost every season. Recently, US media Clutch Points reporter Brett Siegel wrote an article, which once again explained James' situation and how popular he is at the age of 40.

The reporter wrote: "Since the Lakers were eliminated by the Timberwolves last season, the statement about whether the new season is LeBron James' last year's career has begun to emerge. James then chose to execute the $52.6 million player option next season, and his agent Ritchie Paul also came forward to interview and denied James's statement that he wanted to leave."

In addition, Brett Siegel also said: league sources revealed that James had never had any serious trade talks with the Lakers during this offseason. However, this did not stop the Mavericks from contacting the Warriors and asking about the possibility of getting James. It is basically impossible for James to ask the Lakers to trade him in the mid-2025-26 season. All the rumors about James right now are that he is approaching the end of his career, but still maintains the same winning momentum and driving force as early as possible. The only difference is that James will no longer be the team's "number one" for the first time in the new season, because this title now belongs to Doncic.

To put it bluntly, James executes the player options not because he does not want the team and dares not jump out of the contract, but because James is very confident. Even if he executes this contract, there will still be a team for him to have a big contract at the end of next season, and the Lakers will not let him go easily. After all, as James is about to retire, any team hopes to make a big profit in his retirement season. What's more, James's current strength is still the top level in the league, and Doncic still hopes to continue to cooperate with James. No matter from any level, the Lakers cannot give up James. The biggest possibility is that due to age issues, James can only sign each contract for two years, so he is likely to sign another two-year contract after playing next season, and choose to retire after playing.

It should be noted that although James is still very confident in his strength, he does not oppose the Lakers building a team with Doncic as the number one core. Many NBA superstars are still unwilling to threaten their team's status when they grow old, which eventually leads to a break with the young stars of the team and makes the team fall apart. James has always done a good job in this regard. From Irving to Davis to Doncic now, James has always been willing to transition power to them. He just hopes that such sacrifices of James can eventually help him and Doncic win the championship successfully. If he can win another championship at the end of his career, it will be the most perfect curtain call for James' great career.