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The Los Angeles Lakers have agreed to a two-year, $97.1 million contract extension with LeBron James, according to multiple media reports. This move keeps James in Los Angeles for at least another season and he does have a player option in the deal. If the salary cap rises significantly, James’ extension can be up to $111 million.
BREAKING: Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has agreed on a two-year, $97.1 million contract extension – including a player option for the 2024-2025 season, @KlutchSports CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN. James had been entering final year of deal worth $44.5M.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 17, 2022
The player option is important in the context of James’ life, as it would potentially allow him to team up with his son Bronny James. Bronny would be a rookie entering the NBA during that time if he played one year of college basketball or took a year off to train on his own. The prospect of landing James along with his son would definitely intrigue teams in the back half of the lottery.
For now, it seems the Lakers have dodged a major source of drama heading into the season. James could’ve asked for more personnel moves ahead of inking this extension, but it seems he’s content to stick around in LA for now.