LeBron James, the most famous player in the NBA, and the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday agreed to a two-year contract extension worth $97.1 million, according to several reports, including Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
The 37-year-old is now the best-paid player in terms of pay in league history, surpassing Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant, according to the new contract, which brings his guaranteed lifetime earnings to $532 million.
If James decides he no longer wants to play for the team, he will have the ability to opt out of the contract’s final year under the terms of the player option for the 2024–25 season.
James played in 56 games last season, averaging 30.3 points per contest, despite the Lakers missing the playoffs due to a rough season.
In details.
The Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James have agreed to a two-year, $140 million contract that will last through the 2024–2025 NBA season.
According to Rich Paul, CEO of Klutch Sports, who is his agent, the second-leading scorer in NBA history will stay with the Lakers after turning 40 in December 2024 because of a player option in the league-maximum contract.
James’ most recent contract with the Lakers, who signed him in July 2018, is ready to expire. James has won the NBA MVP award four times and won the league four times.
The 18-time All-salary Star for this year is guaranteed by the new contract to be more than $67 million.
The deal
The deal, which includes a 15% trade kicker and more than $760 million in career guaranteed money, elevates James beyond Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant to the position of highest-paid player in NBA history.
During the following season, if James stays healthy, he will undoubtedly surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time top scorer.
With Davis’ most recent contract with the Lakers also being James’ new contract, both players will have the choice of leaving the franchise or signing new deals in 2024. James’ choice to remain with the Lakers also puts a stop to persistent rumors that he might leave in free agency or a trade.
James has missed a significant portion of the season in each of his first three seasons with the Lakers.
James has spent the last four seasons of his 19-year career with the prestigious team, but he is unlikely to leave them despite many rumors about his contract situation throughout the winter.