Every contract LeBron James has signed throughout his career

LeBron James has had a long and legendary NBA career. Along the way he has made a lot of money, and it is always one of the most dramatic times in the league when the NBA great is due a new contract. James ranks first in NBA history in terms of career earnings.

The former first overall pick was drafted in 2003, and he has accumulated $479,466,457 during his time on the hardwood. James is a billionaire, so this figure doesn't include his endorsements or any other form of income. Still, nearly half a billion dollars from his time spent playing basketball is crazy.

That number is set to skyrocket once again for one of the best players in league history. His son, Bronny James, was just drafted 55th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers. That made it clear that LeBron, who opted out of his contract to become a free agent, would return to Los Angeles to become the only father-son duo to play with each other in league history. James just signed a two-year, $104 million max deal to finish out his career with the Lakers.

James hitting the open market and signing another max contract was a big deal, but the drama around his free-agent status was somewhat mild compared to usual. In this article, we are going to look at every contract James has signed during his soon-to-be 22-year-long career.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Coming out of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, LeBron James was viewed as the best prospect in NBA history. No player before had ever had such lofty expectations placed on him at such a young age. James was supposed to be the future of the league, and that made him an easy choice for the Cleveland Cavaliers to draft at the top of the 2003 NBA Draft, especially considering he was the hometown hero.

James would sign a rookie scale contract with Cleveland that would prove to be a massive bargain. The small forward's first contract in the NBA was for $18,788,540 over four years. He far outplayed that contract, as the Cleveland native immediately became one of the best players in the NBA.

James won the Rookie of the Year award and became an All-Star by year two. In year three, James averaged 31.4 points per game and finished in second place for MVP voting. James' hot start and status as a superstar warranted a contract extension, as the Cavaliers rightfully wanted to lock down their star for years to come.

James signed a four-year extension for $60,380,987 before the 2007 season. He was set to make over $15 million a year under this deal, which was a massive pay raise, considering the average annual value of this contract was nearly equal to the total value of his rookie deal.

With a new deal secured, James took his game to new heights. He finally won the league's most prestigious individual award in year six, and he went back-to-back as the MVP winner in the following season (2009-10), which was his last in Cleveland.

Miami Heat

During the 2010 offseason, LeBron James became a free agent. His status on the open market created the biggest free agent period in NBA history. It came to be known as “The Decision,” and everyone was on the edge of their seats waiting for James to decide where he would play next.

Many teams were in pursuit of the player who was now considered the best player in the NBA, and ESPN broadcasted his decision live. There, James decided the Miami Heat would be the next pitstop of his career. James agreed to a 6-year, $109,837,500 deal with Miami, and the Heat and Cavaliers agreed to a sign-and-trade.

As a part of the deal, the Cavaliers received two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and one pick swap option. The price to pay was more than worth it for Miami, as they were getting James in his prime. James joined a Heat team that already featured Dwyane Wade and was adding Chris Bosh.

The three were the prized possessions of the stellar 2003 NBA Draft class, and they joined forces to create the league's first true superteam. Miami found the team success that was expected, and James dominated on an individual level.

The Heat went to the NBA Finals in all four seasons in which James played for them. Along the way, James finished top three in MVP voting every year in Miami, and he won the award in the two years that Miami won the championship title.

Cleveland Cavaliers (second stint)

LeBron James has many nicknames. Notably, he is referred to as “King James” and as “The Chosen One,” but James is also known as “The Kid From Akron.” Ohio was James' home, and a return to the Cavaliers made too much sense.

After four seasons in Miami, James opted out of his six-year deal in favor of a two-year, $42,217,798 contract to return home. This started a trend of James signing shorter deals that would give him flexibility. While most NBA players prefer long-term security, James could afford to sign short-term contracts because his services will/would always be highly coveted.

In James' return to Cleveland, he promised the city that he would bring home their first championship. Alongside Kyrie Irving, he delivered on that promise with an NBA Finals victory in 2016 against his bitter rivals, the Steph Curry-led Golden State Warriors.

James was on the wrong side of 30 when he signed with Cleveland, but he was still the NBA's biggest star, and he'd continue to dominate for a long time. In Cleveland, he extended his consecutive Finals appearances streak to eight straight. He would also extend the number of seasons finishing top five in MVP voting to 12 straight seasons, although he would never go on to win the award again after being named the league's best player for the fourth time during his Heat tenure.

James' second stint in Cleveland lasted four years. After one season with the team, he signed a new two-year deal with the Cavaliers. This deal gave him a pay raise, as he was paid $46,974,673 in this contract. After that, James signed another new deal with the Cavaliers, one that paid him $99,857,127 over three years.

Los Angeles Lakers

After four years in Cleveland, LeBron James again decided to opt out of his contract and become a free agent. The third different team he would end up signing with was the Los Angeles Lakers, a historic team known for the superstar talent they've always employed throughout their existence.

James' contract with Los Angeles was a four-year deal worth $153,312,846. Under this contract, James continued to find success at the highest level, and he even won his fourth championship. He'd go on to sign two extensions with the team. The first was a two-year, $85,655,532 max deal before the 2021 season, and the second was a two-year, $99,023,288 deal before the 2023 season.

The latter of those extensions included a player option for the 2024-25 season that would allow him to become a free agent at the same time that his son was entering the league. While it was reported that James wouldn't for sure sign with whatever team gave Bronny a chance, it was safe to assume that James was destined to join forces with his firstborn child.

James did decide to opt out of his contract and hit the open market, but he just re-signed with the Lakers for two years and $140 million. Retirement is in the not-so-distant future for James, so he will likely finish out his career playing with his son before calling it quits.

The future Hall of Famer is still playing at an elite level, though. If he were to complete his contract, he would become the league leader in seasons played with 23. James continues to defy the odds, though, and it is very possible he will sign another contract after this one concludes with the Lakers.