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By Matt Audilet
Contributing Sports Writer
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Recent reports indicate that LeBron James is heavily leaning toward a return to the Los Angeles Lakers for his 24th NBA season.
But if James and the Lakers are unable to come to a new contract agreement, the all-time great NBA superstar will hit unrestricted free agency.
So if not Los Angeles, where would James play in the 2026-27 NBA season?
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According to ESPN NBA insider Dave McMenamin, the Golden State Warriors present a "realistic second option" if James doesn't secure a new contract with the Lakers.
However, if James were to sign with the Warriors and join Stephen Curry, he would likely be taking a significant pay cut.
"The most the Warriors, as currently constructed, would be able to offer James is the $15.1 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception, $37 million less than what he made last season," McMenamin reports.
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James, 41, just finished his eighth season as a member of the Lakers. He's still performing at an elite level, averaging 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game through the regular season. The four-time league MVP shouldered a heavier load in the postseason as Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves were both sidelined by injuries.
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The Lakers' playoff run came to a close with a second-round loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, suffering a series sweep. James averaged 23.2 points, 7.3 assists and 6.7 rebounds per game in the postseason.
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