LeBron James likely to extend his Lakers contract
On Thursday, LA Lakers superstar LeBron James and the CEO of the team had a productive meeting. It was also the first day that the King was eligible to sign a contract extension. There is a possibility that the Lakers star player is looking to strike a deal with the team for a few more years.
Together with James at the meeting is Rich Paul, CEO of Klutch Sports, head coach Darvin Ham, and Lakers Vice President of operations, Rob Pelinka. Although a deal has yet to be sealed, NBA insiders are optimistic that LeBron James will sign a contract deal very soon.
Although it’s still unpredictable if the contract will be a one or two-year extension, there’s a higher chance that the NBA superstar will extend the contract for a few more years.
LeBron James met with Rob Pelinka today to discuss a possible contract extension, per @mcten
Discussions were ‘productive’ and will continue pic.twitter.com/B3GZO0hI2n
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 4, 2022
Furthermore, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin also has the same thoughts he reported on Friday at NBA Today. “All signs point toward both sides looking to extend their partnership together. It already led to one championship in 2020. It’s also led to two playoff appearances where they didn’t make it. But overall, I think both sides recognize that they can help one another achieve their mutual goal. Which is to compete at a high level and stay relevant as both one of the best players in the NBA and one of the most marquee franchises in the NBA.”
King James is also in the final year of his contract with the Lakers this 2022-23. Now, he is eligible to sign a two-year extension with a $97.1 million contract. If he decides to go with the contract, he will be with the Lakers for the 2024-25 season.
Lebron James’ contract extension
By the time his contract expires, the NBA superstar will be 38 years old. And under the NBA league’s bargaining agreement, any NBA player who is 38 years old and older can only sign a two-year contract.
Rich Paul, who is also James’ agent, told McMenamin that the two sides had a positive discussion during their meeting. Although James still has until June 30, 2023, to decide whether he will sign the extension contract and become a free agent.
LeBron James and his representative Rich Paul of Klutch Sports met with Lakers VP of basketball ops and GM Rob Pelinka on Thursday regarding James’ eligible contract extension. Paul told ESPN the discussion was “productive” and both sides will continue a dialogue.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) August 4, 2022
Whatever James decides on, he’s firm on one goal before he retires. He said he wanted to play in the NBA with his oldest son, Bronny. His son will start his senior year of high school this fall. He will be eligible for the NBA draft in 2024.
James confirmed in an interview, “My last year will be played with my son. Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be. I would do whatever it took to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at this point.”
Despite the LA Lakers’ struggles in the last season, LeBron James isn’t one to back down. Recently, he had a phone meeting with the other two Lakers’ star players to establish their goals for the next season.
It’s also clear that James didn’t show any signs of slowing down with all the points he acquired last playoffs. He had an average of 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists in all 56 games. He also had a shooting record of 52.4 percent from the floor and 35.9 percent from deep.
In addition, the four-time NBA champion would need to maintain his healthy physique, especially if he wants the Lakers to make it through the next season’s Finals. Over the past two seasons, James had already dealt with several injuries. Which added to the list of team struggles last season.
