LeBron James is nearing the end of his career. Now 39 years old and about to finish his 21st NBA season, there truly is not much James has left to prove. All the focus in recent weeks has been on LeBron passing the 40,000-points mark for his career, something he achieved last Saturday against the Denver Nuggets. However, this accolade and career milestone has masked the main topic everyone wants to discuss pertaining to the future first ballot Hall of Famer: Will LeBron stay with the Los Angeles Lakers?
Even dating back to last offseason, many around the league have been questioning James' future in Hollywood. The Lakers have not been able to field a championship-level team since claiming the 2020 championship in the NBA Bubble during the pandemic, and there has been a lot of talk regarding the legend wanting to play with his son, LeBron “Bronny” James Jr.
Regardless of what his son decides to do following his freshman season at USC and regardless of where the Lakers finish in the standings, James will have some massive contract decisions to make in the offseason. Ahead of what would be Year 22 in the league, LeBron will own a $51.4 million player option. Whether he opts into this option or becomes an unrestricted free agent, James is prepared to become the first player in league history to surpass $500 million in career earnings this summer. Although uncertainty regarding his future remains, there is a key contractual caveat that could result in him remaining with the Lakers.
How Lakers could keep LeBron James
There are a lot of minor details that play a part in what kind of contract James can get this offseason. First things first, he has to make a decision on his player option before the June 29 deadline. If LeBron does decide to opt out and become an unrestricted free agent, the Over-38 rule will dictate the length of a new deal, as nobody would be able to offer him a contract that exceeds three years in length. This includes the Lakers.
In the past, James has been notorious for signing 1+1 deals, giving himself and his franchise flexibility to negotiate new terms and monetary amounts every season. Perhaps the one key detail that could ultimately keep James in Los Angeles is the fact that they can offer him something no other team can — a true no-trade clause.
Players around the NBA are only eligible for a no-trade clause if they've been in the league for at least eight years and have played four years for the team offering the contract, according to ESPN. Since these clauses can't be added to extensions, James would need to opt out of his current contract and be a free agent for the Lakers to offer this to him.
Why would this be important to LeBron?
Well, it gives him the flexibility he has been seeking in the final years of his career. A true no-trade clause means that Los Angeles couldn't deal him in order to hit the reset button, and it also means that James could ultimately work his way to the same team as Bronny, should his son be drafted.
Money is not a problem for James, and it likely won't be a motivating factor for him when it is time to make his contract decisions. However, the opportunity to create personal flexibility and control over his own contract for the rest of his career is something James may very much value. No team in the league can offer LeBron more money, nor can they offer him a true no-trade clause like the Lakers can.
Unless he truly wants to jump ship and go elsewhere, it is hard to imagine that the 20-time All-Star will be leaving the Lakers.
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