LeBron James only has 2 real options ahead of uncertain offseason

· Yahoo Sports

LeBron James doesn't know what the future holds for his basketball career. But at 41 years old, he couldn't rule out retirement after the Los Angeles Lakers were swept out of the playoffs by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

"I’ll go back and recalibrate with my family and talk with them, and spend some time with them, and when the time comes, obviously, you guys will know what I decide to do," James said after Monday's game.

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The decision shouldn't be a complicated one. As far as I can tell, he only has two real options: run it back with the Lakers or retire.

And because James' contract with the Lakers is up, it may not be his decision to make at all.

Look, I'm not here to tell James to do with his career. If he wants to keep playing basketball, he should. And while we can assume the Lakers would be glad to have him back for the right price, the off-chance they wouldn't want him back could force him to look elsewhere for that 24th season.

But putting my feet in his size 15 shoes, I couldn't imagine uprooting my life in Los Angeles, where I get to play basketball with my first-born, to go through the grind of another 82-game season at 40-plus for any other organization than the one I've been with the last eight years. If they wouldn't have me back, I'd be more than happy ending things as the most accomplished (and compensated) player in NBA history.

Of course, I can't fit James' shoes. So maybe my mind can't fathom the thought process of an athlete at his level. Maybe the allure of another championship, more individual milestones or another big payday is too tempting for him to stop, considering how well he's still playing, coming off a postseason he led the Lakers in points and assists.

But chasing a title for another team would only validate the very ring culture James criticized last summer, saying "I don't know why it's discussed so much in our sport and why it's the end-all, be-all of everything." And nobody wants to see "King James" catch a flat in a foreign uniform, which only seems more likely the more he keeps going.

So, leaving the Lakers should be out the question. Either run it back in LA or retire.

Biggest offseason weaknesses for all 32 NFL teams

To satisfy your offseason football fix, FTW's Christian D'Andrea put together an in-depth list of the biggest weaknesses for all 32 teams going into the summer. That includes the pass-rushing depth of the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks:

"The Seahawks consistently generated chaos without having to blitz, but the player who led the team in pressures is a 34-year-old DeMarcus Lawrence. Boye Mafe and his 41 pressures are now under contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. While talent remains, it's fair to worry about a dropoff from what was an elite, title-winning unit."

The 'Hawks did add Dante Fowler in free agency, but a drop-off in that department seems possible in 2026.

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This article originally appeared on For The Win: LeBron James retirement is one of only 2 options he should consider

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