LeBron James agrees to new deal with LA Lakers for another 2 seasons for $104M: report
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) (Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES - NBA fans now have a better idea of how much longer they’ll be able to witness the legacy of LeBron James.
Early Wednesday morning, The Athletic and ESPN reported that "King James" has agreed to sign a two-year deal for $104 million. The Athletic's Shams Charania was the first to report the news.
James is set to turn 40 years old in December and his contract would go through his 41st birthday.
Over the weekend, Charania reported that James was expected to opt out of his $51.4 million player option to enter free agency. However, it's a move that will allow him to construct a new deal, the Purple and Gold. The news came in the days after his son, Bronny, was selected in the second round of the NBA Draft.
Bronny James was introduced by the Lakers, along with fellow rookie Dalton Knecht on Tuesday.
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James had previously voiced his desire to play with his oldest son in the league, but ahead of the draft, their agent Rich Paul said they had moved away from that idea and that Bronny’s focus was just to make it to the NBA. Now, his dream has come to fruition.
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To keep a superstar of James’ caliber takes a lot of money and that was likely a big factor for the Lakers' front office.
With LeBron James' latest contract, the Lakers are slightly above the league's second apron.
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James, the league's all-time leading scorer, first signed with the Lakers in 2018 following his second tenure in Cleveland, and in 2020, he helped lead the franchise to its 17th championship. At the time, they tied with their rivals, the Boston Celtics, with 17 championships a piece until Boston surpassed them at 18 this season.
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New Lakers coach JJ Redick, with no prior coaching experience, will be tasked with coaching James' final seasons in the NBA as well as the team’s young core of Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves and Max Christie.