LeBron James is not going anywhere. After opting out of his $51.4 million player option for the 2024-25 season, leading to speculation that he could entertain other offers from rival teams, LeBron has come to an agreement on a two-year, $104 million contract with the Lakers, according to Shams Charania. The second year of James' new contract contains a player option.
James has played a total of 21 seasons in the NBA. Now set to return for the 2024-25 season, LeBron will become just the second player to ever play 22 seasons in the league, joining recent Hall of Famer Vince Carter. The NBA's all-time leading scorer has expressed a desire to play for at least two more years, which would make his years played in the league equal to that of his iconic No. 23 jersey he has worn throughout his career.
A return to the Lakers always appeared to be the obvious choice for LeBron. The Lakers had made their intentions to see James retire in purple and gold very clear, plus the organization recently hired JJ Redick as their new head coach after firing Darvin Ham. Redick and James have hosted their Mind the Game Pod together since starting the podcast earlier this year, leading to speculation that the Lakers were going to hire the former NBA sharpshooter.
Not only did the Lakers hire Redick as a move to possibly please James, but they also drafted his son, Bronny, in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. The father-son duo will now be able to play out their dream of being a part of the same NBA organization.
LeBron will now embark on his seventh season with the Lakers. Since heading to Los Angeles in 2018, James has averaged 27.0 points, 8.0 assists, and 7.9 rebounds per game while shooting 51.3 percent from the floor. Just this past season, he shot a career-high 41.0 percent from three-point range. While he has dealt with a handful of injuries through the years with the Lakers, LeBron continues to defy the meaning of career longevity at 39 years old.
Defining LeBron James' contract with Lakers
There are many reasons why James elected to sign another short-term deal with the Lakers. Not only does this give him flexibility to decide his own future, but the Lakers maintain a level of flexibility as well pertaining to free agency. Anthony Davis is the future of the organization, and James understands this. That is why executive Rob Pelinka and the Lakers' front office have been aggressive in their pursuit of talent to contend for championships.
James agreeing to this new deal with the Lakers ensures that they are still his main focus. There had been persistent talk about LeBron entertaining the idea of joining contenders such as the Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns ever since Los Angeles was eliminated from the playoffs. Ultimately, these rumors turned out to be nothing more than that.
With James and Davis under contract, the Lakers will now turn to figuring out the rest of their roster situation. Although Austin Reaves appears to be a core part of their future, all options will be on the table for the franchise during the offseason.
The Lakers' main goal is to contend for championships at the highest level possible, so long as LeBron is on the roster. That is why Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent, and others have heard their names appear in trade rumors. Throughout the summer and the early stages of the preseason, the Lakers will be evaluating all of their options on the trade market.
The number one priority in Los Angeles this offseason was making sure a deal could be reached with James. Now that he is under contract for at least one more season, the Lakers will again turn their attention to contending for their 18th championship in franchise history.
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