LeBron James is not ready to decide his NBA future after the Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday. The Thunder won 115-110 to complete a 4-0 sweep of the Western Conference semifinal series, despite James recording 24 points and 12 rebounds.
The 41-year-old has just finished his record-setting 23rd NBA season and is heading into unrestricted free agency. When asked about his plans, James said: "What my future [holds], I don't know, obviously. This is still fresh from losing, and I don't know what the future holds for me as it stands right now tonight."
James added that he will take time to recalibrate with his family before making a decision. "I got a lot of time to sit back, like I said last year after we lost to Minnesota, to go back and recalibrate with my family and talk with them. When the time comes, you guys will know what I decide."
This season, James was selected to his 22nd consecutive All-Star Game while adapting to an unfamiliar role. Luka Dončić, the Lakers' primary offensive threat, led the league with 33.5 points per game. Austin Reaves averaged 23.3 points, and James contributed 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.1 rebounds per game. Dončić missed the entire playoffs due to a hamstring injury, and Reaves sat out several games with oblique strains. In the postseason, James averaged 23.2 points, 7.3 assists, and 6.7 rebounds.
James reflected on his season: "Obviously we fell a little short, but I'm not looking at my year as a disappointment. I was put in positions I never played before. I've never been a third option in my life. To thrive in that role and then step back into my accustomed role and lead my teammates under extreme circumstances was pretty cool for me at this stage of my career."
Reaves also faces a decision on his future. The 27-year-old guard has a $14.9 million player option, which he is expected to decline to become an unrestricted free agent. "It's been fun, a joy, a grind," Reaves said. "A lot of things didn't go our way, but we stuck together. I know many teams would have given up, but that wasn't the case with this team."
In Monday's other playoff game, Donovan Mitchell tied an NBA record with 39 points in the second half, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 112-103 victory over the Detroit Pistons, evening the series at 2-2. Mitchell tied Eric "Sleepy" Floyd's record with a free throw with 27.6 seconds left. He finished with 43 points. Caris LeVert scored a season-high 24 points for Detroit. Game 5 is Wednesday in Detroit.
