(Basketball news) The Los Angeles Lakers have extended LeBron James' contract for two years till 2024. In his three of his four seasons with the Lakers, LeBron has missed a substantial chunk of the season due to injuries. When the Lakers won their 17th NBA championship in the Florida bubble during the extended 2019–20 season, he was healthy and helped the Lakers win their 17th NBA crown. Over the past two seasons when he has been healthy, James has dominated games and is still going strong at 37. It was reported that when his son Bronny entered the NBA, he planned to play on the same team as Bronny.
Bronny James may be eligible for the NBA draft in the summer of 2024, even though there are several barriers in his way. With his new contract, James has now surpassed Kevin Durant, who previously held the record of agreeing to a max extension with the Brooklyn Nets. James is now set to become the highest-paid player in NBA history with a two-year deal which also includes a player option. Until his son joins the NBA, James will remain a Los Angeles Laker for the near future and according to Adrian Wojnarowski he agreed to a two-year contract worth $97.1 with the Lakers.
The contract is until 2024 as he has the option of extending for an extra year, the agreement also prevents him from becoming a free agent. The deal also includes a 15% trade kicker in addition to the maximum value that could be given. The agreement might increase his salary to potentially $110 million if the pay cap is raised. James’ contract was about to expire, and now has the same options as All-Star Anthony Davis to either sign a new deal with the Lakers or become a free agent in the next two seasons. With the agreement, the four-time NBA champion, MVP, and 18-time All-Star all star will hope to get the Lakers back on track after a dismal campaign last season.
James, who is the focal point of the Lakers’ aspirations of contending, is still an All-NBA player despite being 37 years old. The Lakers can now be more proactive in trades as they attempt to transform this year’s roster into a championship team now that James has committed to wearing Purple and Gold for at least two more seasons. The long standing interest in Kyrie Irving still continues but the Brooklyn Nets are looking for a massive trade package which the Lakers as of now can’t afford. They might be forced to look at other trade options as they look to offload Russell Westbrook after just one season. Players like Buddy Heild, Patrick Beverley and Bodan Bogdanovic have emerged as new potential trade targets.
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