Nobody save LeBron James knows about his retirement intentions, so it came as no surprise when the most recent timeline for his career was released. According to Shams Charania, James is expected to play only one or two more seasons, with the goal of winning one more title before retiring.

“According to the majority of individuals I speak with in the NBA, LeBron James is expected to play another year or two. But it is evident. According to his words, he’s reached the end of the road. For stars like LeBron James, it might be difficult to accept the reality of retirement. I met with Rich Paul today, and he said, ‘It’s like landing a plane; you don’t just land when you’re 45 minutes away. When you drop, there’s a caution, sort of an announcement.

Shams made it apparent that LeBron still has a strong drive to win and is as competitive as he has ever been. This season, his 21st, he’s playing like a man who loves the game and is doing everything he can to breathe new life into his squad.

However, after more than two decades of dominating the league, the King’s age is beginning to show. As impressive as his numbers appear to be right now, his impact on the game is being questioned like never before, as the Lakers remain ninth in the Western Conference despite his performance. James is most concerned about his worsening health. This is James’ first season of at least 65 games since 2019-20, a figure he easily reached throughout his time with the Cavaliers and Heat.

Of course, LeBron has been hinting at his retirement plans for a time now. When the Lakers were swept last May, James hinted that he might not return before taking it back a few days later. He has also openly discussed “the end” of his career several times in recent years.

LeBron James is clearly nearing the end of his basketball career. The only question now is whether he’ll retire with a championship-winning Lakers team or one struggling to stay relevant and avoid additional embarrassment. For LeBron, it’s critical that he goes out on top, or his legacy may never recover.

With LeBron James turning 40 next December and with one or two seasons remaining (at most), the Lakers are running out of time to win another title. They are under enormous pressure to make changes this summer and get LeBron the help he needs.

With Anthony Davis and a cast of inconsistent role players, not even LeBron James could save the Lakers from a hard play-in battle, and it appears they will fight their way into the playoffs for the second year in a row.

Barring a surprise Finals run, the Lakers will look to make changes no matter how they complete the regular season. With multiple contracts off the books, Rob Pelinka should be free to make some bold moves to position his team for long-term success.

The first item of business will be to determine the team’s long-term point guard. If it is not D’Angelo Russell, the Lakers will prioritize acquiring a scoring point guard, with Trae Young and Dejounte Murray at the top of the list. There’s also the coaching situation, with Darvin Ham’s future hanging in the balance.

The Lakers’ reaction to these issues is undoubtedly linked to their performance this season and how distant they believe they are from contending with the likes of Denver, Oklahoma City, and Minneapolis.