How much are finances going to sway LeBron James on where he puts ink to paper on his next (and likely last) NBA contract? If that aspect is going to weigh heavily, the Los Angeles Lakers should still be considered the frontrunners. James won't do better on a new deal elsewhere.
That sounds weird, right?
So much of the talk about James staying in Los Angeles has involved the idea of him taking a pay cut to give the Lakers more financial freedom in assembling the next contending roster around Luka Doncic. However, it is important to remember who is poised to have cap space and the type of teams LeBron would want to play for in his final year(s).
James is not joining a team like the Brooklyn Nets or Chicago Bulls for a potential retirement tour. LeBron wants to be on a contender and compete for championships. That much was stated by his own agent, Rich Paul, when the player option for the 2025-26 season was picked up.
Most of the teams that are being viewed as logical destinations for LeBron's send-off party are not going to have a piggy bank to break open for him. The Lakers still hold the financial edge among contenders.
Lakers can still afford to give James more money than any other contender
Bobby Marks did an excellent job highlighting this point in his recent offseason lookahead for ESPN. Despite all the chatter, James and the Lakers continue to be a good match for each other.
Marks wrote, "Re-signing with Los Angeles would come with a significant pay cut. ... But, few contenders are projected to have cap space this summer. ... The [Cleveland] Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets and [New York] Knicks could offer LeBron only the veteran's minimum exception."
Basically, whatever the Lakers can reasonably afford to put on the table for LeBron that is above the minimum will be more than he could receive elsewhere from a desirable team. That also comes with having the massive off-court incentives of being in a huge media market like Los Angeles.
There may only be one real challenge to that financial dominance.
I talked to a few execs in media world about how much LeBron could get for the rights to his farewell tour in a streaming bidding war.
— Anthony Lima (@SportsBoyTony) February 18, 2026
Was told $40-75 million.
So yes, he could play for vet minimum next year on a title contender and still get compensation for his value.
Add…
Cleveland reporter Anthony Lima suggested James could get anywhere between $40-$75 million in the streaming rights to his retirement tour. That could be a lucrative option to offset any financial shortcomings from the actual contract.
One too would imagine that a nostalgia tour in Cleveland may sell better than one in Los Angeles. That could offer a counter to the financial advantage the Lakers would otherwise have.
This game of bag-watching is hard to completely estimate to a tee when considering, once more, all the off-court business ventures there are to be had in Los Angeles. There's also a discussion to be had about this not even completely coming down to the money.
James has always come across as the type of player who cares about the story his career tells. If there is more championship upside to be had in Los Angeles, LeBron can ride off into the sunset on a high note.
Is the money irrelevant? Absolutely not. Is it the make-or-break factor? Probably not. One would imagine it goes deeper than just the pockets here.