LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers have agreed to a two-year, $85 million contract extension, according to his agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group.
What We Know:
- James originally signed a four-year $154 million contract with the Lakers in the summer of 2018. This upcoming 2020-2021 season would have been the last guaranteed year of that deal, with the fourth year being a player option. This extension will take him through the 2022-2023 season.
- James is set to earn $39 million on the court this season. Six players will be earning over $40 million this season, including Steph Curry, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, John Wall, James Harden, and Kevin Durant. James’ extension will pay him $41 million in 2021-2022 and $44 million in 2022-2023. By the end of the extension, James will have earned $435 million from his NBA contracts over his career.
- Throughout his career, James has never been the kind of player to extend his contracts. He has usually signed shorter deals and opted out of the last year of his contracts. This extension likely has something to do with Anthony Davis’ free agency.
- Davis is expected to resign with the Lakers, but the question is for how long. Davis could sign a five-year max contract with the Lakers, but most people expect him to align his contract with James. James’ extension means that Davis could sign a three-year max deal with the Lakers.
- The extension would take James through his 20th season in the NBA. He played 11 seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, four with the Miami Heat, and he will play at least five with the Lakers. James is a four-time champion, four-time Finals MVP, and a four-time league MVP. He’s also third on the NBA all-time scoring list with 34,241 points, 4,146 points behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for first place.
This extension also opens up the possibility of James and his son playing together as a father-son duo. LeBron “Bronny” James Jr. could get selected in the 2023 NBA Draft after graduating high school, the same year that his dad’s contract with the Lakers expires.
