LeBron James can take his talents elsewhere by declining a $51.4 million option in his contract for the 2024-2025 season before Sunday’s deadline, but the Lakers want to bring the 39-year-old back to Los Angeles with a new maximum term of three years. offer, according to ESPN.
James cannot be offered more than a three-year contract under the NBA’s rule, which limits the length of contracts teams can offer to players over the age of 38.
That caps the three-year offer the Lakers can make to James at a maximum of $162 million. The first step is his player option, though he can decline the option, test free agency and opt for a short-term deal if that’s his preference.
“We want to respect and honor LeBron’s ability to make a decision on his contract on June 29th,” Lakers GM Rob Pelinka said Tuesday.
A 20-time All-Star who turns 40 on Dec. 30, James and new head coach JJ Redick co-hosted a popular “Mind the Game” podcast last season and clearly bond over shared thinking on key components of player development and team culture.
Pelinka said Tuesday that James “supported” the Lakers’ search but chose not to be overly involved, which is the opposite of All-Star teammate Anthony Davis’ approach.
Redick turned 40 on Tuesday and the new head coach claimed he had only a brief conversation with James this week after being offered the spot held by Darvin Ham for the past two seasons.
With maximum cap space available, the Philadelphia 76ers are considered a looming threat to the Lakers if James opts out of his contract. According to multiple reports, the Sixers are among the teams showing the greatest interest in James’ eldest son, USC guard Bronny James, on Wednesday ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft.
