LeBron James has refrained from committing to the Los Angeles Lakers beyond the current NBA season.

James has a player-option for the 2024/25 NBA season, which gives him the power to decide whether to stay with the Lakers for another year or become an unrestricted free agent.

He sparked speculation about his playing future when he posted an hourglass emoji on his X account following his team’s blowout 138-122 loss to the Atlanta Hawks earlier this week and ahead of the NBA’s February 8 trade deadline.

The 39-year-old was asked ahead of the Lakers’ game at the New York Knicks if he has spent time thinking about the contract decision he will need to make.

James provided a curt response.

“No,” said James, whose Lakers are ninth in the 15-team Western Conference with a 25-25 record.

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer sat out the Lakers’ 114-105 win against the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics on Friday AEDT with a sore ankle.

With just over two months left in the regular season, James did emphasise the need for his team to become more consistent down the stretch as they hope to keep pace in a tight Western Conference playoff race.

“If we can play some good basketball, string a couple wins together, and not be so Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde on any given night, then we’ll be OK,” said James.

Reuters