'I don't know.' LeBron James unsure if he'll return for 24th season or retire - BERITAJA

As LeBron James sat astatine the podium pursuing the Lakers’ season-ending loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder successful Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals connected Monday night, he was asked about his future.

He had conscionable completed his 23rd play successful the NBA astatine 41 years aged and he will go a free supplier this summer.

James has been asked about status each play — and if he would return to the Lakers adjacent play aliases play for different team.

So aft finishing pinch 24 points and 12 rebounds successful the 115-110 loss, James addressed the business again.

“With my future, I don’t know, honestly,” James said. “It’s still caller from evidently losing. And I don’t know. I don’t cognize what the early holds for me, obviously. As it stands correct now, tonight, I sewage a batch of time. I’ll beryllium back, for illustration I deliberation I said past twelvemonth aft we lost, I deliberation to Minnesota, to spell backmost and recalibrate pinch my family and talk pinch them, and walk immoderate clip pinch them. And past erstwhile the clip comes, past evidently you guys will cognize what I’ve decided to do.”

James said he’ll talk to his wife, Savannah, his daughter, Zhuri, and his son, Bryce.

James was asked what his determination process will beryllium like.

“I don’t know,” he said. “If I could perpetrate to still being successful emotion pinch the process of showing up to the arena five-and-a-half hours earlier a crippled to commencement preparing for a game, giving everything I got, diving for loose balls and doing everything that you cognize that it takes to spell retired and play. Showing up to practices, 11 o’clock practice, I’m location astatine 8 o’clock preparing my body, preparing my mind, preparing to practice, to put the activity in.

“So I deliberation for me, I’ve ever been successful emotion pinch the process and not the aftermath of, OK, we won that game, aliases we won a championship. I’ve ever enjoyed the process and not the outcome. So, I deliberation that would beryllium a large factor.”

LeBron James, center, celebrates pinch his Lakers teammates aft defeating the Miami Heat for the NBA title connected Oct. 11, 2020.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

James has been pinch the Lakers for 8 seasons. He helped the squad triumph an NBA title successful 2020 successful the COVID-19 bubble successful Orlando, Fla.

James was asked what has stood retired during his clip pinch the Lakers.

“Obviously winning a title successful 2020 would guidelines astatine the top,” James said. “That was the logic why I came here, to reconstruct that level of play and reconstruct this franchise backmost to what it was known for, winning championships and playing astatine a precocious level. ... So that would beryllium astatine the top.”

After the nonaccomplishment to the Thunder, James shook hands pinch All-Star defender Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Alex Caruso, Lou Dort earlier stepping disconnected the court.

James was asked if those were the past handshakes of his career.

“Last handshakes? No, I don’t know. ‘Cause I don’t, I person nary idea,” James said. “None of america moreover cognize what the early holds. None of us.”

The Lakers cognize that they could person 8 unrestricted free agents successful their contiguous future.

After James, the adjacent biggest imaginable free supplier is Austin Reaves. He is expected to opt retired of his woody that will salary him $14.8 cardinal and go a free agent, according to group acquainted pinch the business not authorized to comment. The Lakers could salary Reaves a maximum woody of $241 cardinal complete 5 years, pinch a starting net of about $41.5 cardinal adjacent season.

The Lakers worth Reaves and are expected to meet his demands. Reaves could motion pinch different squad that has salary-cap space, but that woody would beryllium for 4 years and about $178 million.

“I return life time by time and I’m conscionable blessed to person an opportunity to play for this organization, play a kid’s game,” Reaves said. “I make bully money. But for illustration I said, don’t deliberation about what I’m really going to do successful the future. Just time by day.”

Center Deandre Ayton had an inconsistent season, averaging 12.5 points connected 67.1% shooting and 8.0 rebounds. He could opt retired of his woody that pays him $8.1 cardinal adjacent play and go a free agent. But Ayton hasn’t yet made a decision, according to group acquainted pinch the business not authorized to comment.

Lakers prima Austin Reaves celebrates aft shooting a three-pointer against the Thunder connected Monday.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Marcus Smart, a locker room leader and their champion protect player, besides has a subordinate action for adjacent play astatine $5.3 million. He hasn’t made a determination yet connected whether he’ll trial the free-agent market. According to respective NBA executives, a fewer teams about apt will show liking successful him.

The deadline to workout aliases diminution an action is June 29.

Rui Hachimura’s ($18.2 million), Luke Kennard ($11 million), Maxi Kleber ($11 million) and Jaxson Hayes ($3.4 million) are besides successful the last twelvemonth of their deals.

Doncic, who missed the playoffs and the past 5 games of the regular play pinch a Grade 2 near hamstring strain, signed a three-year, $165-million hold past summer, keeping him nether statement done the 2027-28 season.

Jarred Vanderbilt ($12.4 million), Jake LaRavia ($6.0 million), Dalton Knecht (4.2 million), Bronny James ($2.2 million) and rookie Adou Thiero ($2.1 million) are nether statement for adjacent season.