LeBron James is set to sign a two-year, $104 million maximum contract to return to the Los Angeles Lakers, according to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
It will be James’s 22nd season in the NBA this fall, and one that will certainly be memorable for him as he has the opportunity to play on the same team as his son, Bronny.
James, who is widely considered to be one of the best players in league history, has showed little signs of slowing down even as he enters his age-40 season. The 20-time All-Star and four-time NBA champion played in 71 games for the Lakers last season, averaging 25.7 points, 8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds on 54.0% shooting from the floor and 41.0% shooting from three.
Even as the Lakers fall from contention in the Western Conference, James has proven himself to be an elite player in the late stages of his career. That’s why paying James, who turns 40 in December, $52 million this season remains a no-brainer for the Lakers.
James’s new contract in Los Angeles includes a player option for the second year, leaving the door open for the Lakers star to either retire after this season, or perhaps negotiate a contract extension if he wants to play longer than two more seasons. It also opens the door for James to opt out of his contract next summer and take a pay cut to attract free agent talent for a final championship chase – which is something that the Lakers star was reportedly open to doing this offseason before the free agent market dried up.
In addition to the player option on the second season of the deal, James also has a full no-trade clause. He is one of only two players in the NBA with a no-trade clause, joining Bradley Beal in Phoenix with that distinction.
One final item of James’s contract to monitor, once it becomes official in Los Angeles, is whether or not the contract comes in at the full max as initially reported. Wojnarowski added that there are still internal discussions in Los Angeles about James potentially taking $1 million or so below the max to help the Lakers keep their financial flexibility below the stringent second tax apron that is part of the new CBA.
