The Los Angeles Lakers came into the NBA offseason with plenty of tasks on their to-do list. While they have accomplished some of them, there is still plenty of work for the franchise to do in the coming weeks leading up to training camp.
One of the tasks they still had to accomplish was working out a contract extension with LeBron James. He was eligible for a new deal, but they can now cross that one off of the board as well. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Lakers and James have agreed to a huge extension.
The sides agreed to a 1+1 deal, which James has used throughout his career to keep his options open. The final season of his current deal is worth $44.5 million for the 2022-23 campaign, but James is now locked in on a two-year deal worth $97.1 million.
This contract will put some pressure on the Lakers to make some moves knowing that James’ tenure with the team could only last for two more seasons. Going all out to compete with him on the roster while he is still playing at a high level seems like a no-brainer decision for the front office to make.
It should also come as no surprise that the second year of that extension for the 2024-25 season is a player option. 2024 is when his son, Bronny, is eligible for the NBA Draft and he has made it clear that he plans to join whichever team that lands his son.
So, instead of being locked into a contract with the Lakers, he will have the opportunity to become a free agent during the 2024 offseason and pick his next destination. Knowing that is his plan, you can be sure that the Lakers will try their hardest to acquire a 2024 first-round pick to put them in the race to land Bronny in the draft.
More NBA News & Trade Rumors: LeBron James & Los Angeles Lakers
For the latest surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James, check out our NBA news and trade rumors feed.
Discussion about this post