Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is “likely” to exercise his $52.6 million player option this offseason, according to ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania.

Charania appeared on ‘The Pat McAfee Show' on Tuesday and said that James, who signed a two-year, $101.4 million deal last summer, is likely to opt in to the final year of his deal, but Charania also emphasized that James has about a month left to make a final decision on the player option. If James opted out, he could presumably sign another short-term contract that would pay him an estimated $54.1 million next season.

James, the NBA's oldest player, has been with the Lakers since 2018, and along with Anthony Davis, led L.A. to an NBA championship in 2020. This past season, Davis was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Luka Doncic, who will become eligible for a long-term extension later this offseason.

When asked if he would try to convince Doncic to sign long-term with the Lakers, James said he would not.

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“That ain’t my job,” James told ESPN shortly after the season ended.

James did say that he would like Doncic to stay long-term, but he admitted that the Doncic trade was not made for James' benefit necessarily and that Doncic should make the best decision for himself and his future. The Lakers certainly hope Doncic, 26, will be the team's superstar for the next decade or so, long after James presumably retires.

Still, next season will be an interesting one for James, Doncic, and the Lakers. The 2025-26 season would be James' 23rd in the NBA, which would set a new league record for most seasons played. Additionally, as Charania noted on ‘The Pat McAfee Show,' it would match his jersey number.

There is speculation that James will not retire after season 23, though, as Bryce James, LeBron's youngest son, is eligible for the NBA Draft in 2026. LeBron became the first player this past season to play with his child in the NBA; he and eldest son Bronny James, who went late in the second round of last year's draft, shared the court in the Lakers' season opener.