After the 2014-15 NBA season, Kobe Bryant has one more year left on his current contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers will pay Bryant $25 million in what could be the final year of Bryant’s career in the NBA.
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With a 132 games left to be played before his contract with the Lakers expires, there’s no telling what the future holds for the superstar and the franchise he’s led to five NBA titles. There’s been a lot of speculation about whether Kobe will extend his career beyond the 2015-16 season, but if he had to make a choice right now, the answer would be no.
Bryant spoke to the media in Denver after recording the 21st triple-double of his career and talked about his future, via Bill Oram of the OC Register:
Kobe: "If you asked me if I’m going to play beyond that, right now the answer is no."
— Bill Oram (@billoram) December 31, 2014
Although Kobe clearly has no intention of playing beyond his current contract at this point in time, the superstar guard is looking forward to next season despite recent struggles to keep his body game-ready, via Oram:
Kobe on playing in 2015-16: "Is it very difficult right now to play? Yeah. Am I looking forward to playing next year? Yes."
— Bill Oram (@billoram) December 31, 2014
In the summer of 2016, Bryant’s contract will come off the books and the Lakers will set their sights on landing superstar Kevin Durant in free agency. Although many anticipate Durant simply re-signing with the Oklahoma City Thunder or potentially heading back home to play with the Washington Wizards, the Lakers could be an intriguing option for the reigning NBA MVP.
If the Lakers can lure Durant to Los Angeles, it’d be a safe bet Kobe would consider playing another year or two if his body is able to hold up. The storied franchise is bound to make moves between now and the summer of 2016, but whether those moves will be substantial enough to convince Bryant to hold off walking away from the game remains to be seen.
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