The won the sweepstakes last week after signing the all-time leading scorer to a two-year deal with a player option for the 2027-28 season. In announcing his decision to sign with Philadelphia, James, 41, he had played his last NBA game when the were eliminated from the postseason. Instead, he will suit up for his 24th season when the 76ers take the court in the fall.
Rumors about James’ impending retirement have surrounded him for several years and will continue to persist until he ultimately hangs it up for good. Even heading into his first year with the 76ers, his fourth , there will be more questions about retirement after James signed a one-plus-one contract that gives him the flexibility to opt out at the end of next season and either retire or sign a new deal.
Although it’s possible his stint with the 76ers is one-and-done and he retires after next season, James could play beyond the 2026-27 campaign. In an interview with ESPN, James’ agent, Rich Paul, will “energize” him.
“I think Philadelphia’s going to energize him,” Paul told ESPN. “Maybe we get two [seasons]. Maybe we get four.”
If Paul is serious about James playing four more seasons in the league, that would take him to the 2029-30 season. It may seem far-fetched on the surface, but it’s also something you can’t put past James as he chases his fifth NBA title.
Another reason to be optimistic about James playing beyond this season with the 76ers is that he is joining a roster ready to compete for a title. James won’t be under as much pressure — like he was at times during his final seasons with the Lakers — to be “the guy” every night as the 76ers return , and and added via trade this offseason. The flexibility of James not having to be a first or even a second option on a given night could give him the longevity needed to extend his career.
James’ decision this summer in free agency was somewhat similar to a high-profile high school recruit deciding where to begin their college career. Paul admitted that he had conversations with 27 NBA teams about James and that list was cut to five during the final stages.
Those teams? The 76ers, , , and . The were also reportedly a suitor for James early in the process, but they didn’t make the final cut.
Before he cut his list down to five teams, some surprising suitors emerged for James. Two of the teams that expressed interest were the and , per ESPN.
The Celtics pursued James despite trading Brown away to the 76ers in a package for and picks. The Clippers discussed a “lucrative one-season contract north of $20 million” that would’ve allowed James to stay in Los Angeles despite having a trade in place to send to the .
Although there have been clues about a handful of those 27 teams that expressed at least exploratory interest in James, what is not known is which teams didn’t have conversations with Paul. Using context clues from comments James to Nashville, it can be assumed the franchise wasn’t high up on his list to spend the twilight of his NBA career.
