The Lakers clearly want LeBron James back, but whether he’ll return for a 21st NBA season suddenly became a huge question mark Monday night after Los Angeles was swept by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals.

James 38, told ESPN Monday that he is considering retirement, saying he’s “got to think about” if he wants to continue to play.

He did not speak again Tuesday when the Lakers held their exit interviews.

“We all know that [James] speaks for himself, and we’ll look forward to those conversations when the time is right,” Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka told reporters Tuesday. “LeBron has given as much to the game of basketball as anyone who has ever played. When you do that, you earn a right to decide whether you’re going to give more. … Obviously, our hope would be that his career continues, but we want to give him the time to have that inflection point and support him along the way.”

Head coach Darvin Ham also said James has “earned the right,” but both he and Pelinka are hopeful that James will be back and said they’ll talk to him soon about his plans.

“Coming off a tough loss like that, the work we’ve put in this season, I think I was ready to retire after last night, too,” Ham joked.

In his fifth season with the Lakers, James averaged 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game across 55 regular-season appearances, missing time with a foot injury.

He then averaged 24.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists in 16 playoff games, including a 40-point, 10-rebound, nine-assist effort in Monday’s Game 4 loss.

Having James return along with Anthony Davis would give the Lakers another chance at making a run at a championship, though much of their roster is in flux, with D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Dennis Schroder, Austin Reaves and Lonnie Walker among their free agents.

“It would be crazy to see him away from the game,” Russell said of James, “especially when I feel he has a lot more left in the tank.”