Lakers star Lebron James' future in question after being swept by Thunder

The Los Angeles Lakers' hopes of winning another NBA championship are over but questions over what comes next for LeBron James will rumble on beyond Monday's loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The reigning-champion Thunder blew an 11-point third-quarter lead only to rally back in the fourth for a 115-110 win to complete their four-game sweep of James and the Lakers. The victory means the injury-ravaged Thunder can take a much-needed rest before facing the winner of the Minnesota-San Antonio series in the Western Conference Finals. The Lakers, meanwhile, finished first in the Pacific Division again only to get knocked out of the playoffs in the first round for the second year in a row. In fact, James’ Lakers haven’t won a playoff series since reaching the conference finals in 2023. James finished with a game-high 12 rebounds and 24 points in what was an otherwise brutal game for the former MVP. Not only were the Lakers outscored by 17 points while he was on the floor, but James also committed four costly turnovers on a night when LA had 19. There's good reason to believe Monday's loss could be James' last appearance for the Lakers, given his age and expiring contract, but he didn't indicate any decision after Monday's loss. 'With my future, I don't know, obviously, I mean, it's obviously still fresh,' he told reporters. 'When the time comes, obviously you guys will know what I decided to do.' James last committed to the Lakers back in July 2024, when he agreed to a two-year deal to return to Los Angeles. It was worth $104million and it ran through the 2025/26 season. Now James will become a free agent on June 30 and questions over whether he will retire or find a new home have been bubbling since 12 months prior, when his agent Rich Paul told ESPN: 'LeBron wants to compete for a championship.' 'He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all.' The 23-season veteran, a four-time NBA champion, exercised his player option for this season. By making that $52.6m decision - rather than negotiating another deal - James ushered in a rare first: never before in his eight years with the Lakers had he played through the final year of a deal. #lebron #lakers #basketball #nbaplayoffs