LeBron James

The Los Angeles Lakers are breathing a sigh of relief after LeBron James agreed to a contract extension Wednesday.

Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski that James will sign a two-year, $97.1 million extension with a player option for 2024-25.

James became eligible for a two-year deal with the Lakers on Aug. 4.

Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported Aug. 9 that James, Paul, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham and general manager Rob Pelinka had an hourlong meeting to discuss "concerns, and hearing out strategies and opinions to assure there wouldn't be a repeat of last season's epic failure" in Los Angeles.

Whatever came out of that meeting seemed to resonate with James enough to get him to re-sign.

Here are some instant takes about James deciding to stay in Los Angeles.

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LeBron Was Never Leaving Los Angeles

Of course, this was the end result for James and the Lakers. There were some questions from outsiders that the four-time NBA MVP might look to find a new franchise after things went so awry last season.

Back in April, Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype laid out some valid reasons James wouldn't necessarily agree to an extension with the Lakers when he became eligible to do so:

"My guess is he does not extend with the Lakers for a couple of reasons. One, he can sign it up until June 30, 2023. Two, he might want to keep the pressure on the Lakers organization after the season they just had. Three, he's LeBron James. As long as he's playing at this level next year, a max contract will be available to him."

While that is a rational take, it fails to account for the fact that there was nothing rational about James' original decision to sign with the Lakers.

Let's rewind the clocks to July 2018, after James opted out of his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers to become an unrestricted free agent. The future Hall of Famer signed a four-year, $154 million deal with the Lakers.

At the time, Los Angeles was coming off five consecutive losing seasons. The franchise didn't have a budding young superstar at that point, like the Cleveland Cavaliers did with Kyrie Irving when James returned to the franchise in the summer of 2014.

Brandon Ingram was a promising 20-year-old at the time. Lonzo Ball was still searching for a consistent jumper in the NBA. Kyle Kuzma was an effective scorer but didn't look like an impact player.

(Ingram and Ball were traded to the New Orleans Pelicans after the 2018-19 season as part of the Anthony Davis deal. Kuzma was traded to the Washington Wizards in August 2021 as part of the package for Russell Westbrook.)

There was no basketball reason for James to join the Lakers when he did. He was entering the twilight era of his playing career, and he has been making a series of business moves in Los Angeles.

James got his first starring role in a movie last year with the release of Space Jam: A New Legacy. He sold a minority stake in his production company, SpringHill Company, last year to bring its valuation to $725 million.

Los Angeles seems to be where James wants to be for his business ventures and family. (Bronny James is entering his senior year at Sierra Canyon High School.) The Lakers just happened to benefit by being the historic franchise that plays basketball in the city to entice James to sign with them.

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James' New Deal Doesn't Mean a Westbrook Trade Is Imminent

Even before Lakers fans had to worry about James' contract status, they were paying attention to Westbrook's status as a member of the franchise.

There has certainly been a lot of speculation that a Westbrook-for-Irving trade could be in play. Sam Amico of Hoops Wire poured cold water on that in June with a report that the Brooklyn Nets have "no interest in Westbrook at all" even if he happened to get bought out by the Lakers.

Haynes noted the meeting between James and Lakers brass did lead to Ham laying out his vision for what the team needs to do to be competitive in the upcoming season:

"He voiced that defensive tenacity needs to be picked up all across the roster and also forewarned that players would have to play new roles and if he sensed reluctance, he wouldn't hesitate to remove them from the game, sources said."

Haynes noted the Lakers are "hopeful" Westbrook can improve his corner three-point shooting in 2022-23. He also added that Pelinka stressed "patience" will be key for any potential trades they might make.

Per Cleaning the Glass (h/t CBS Sports' Brad Botkin), Westbrook actually made 44 percent of his corner threes in 2021-22 and 41 percent in his lone season with the Wizards.

If the Lakers are hoping for Westbrook to improve one aspect of his performance, it seems to be an indication they are anticipating entering this season with him on the roster.

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This Is a Bet on Anthony Davis

In order for the Lakers to reach their ultimate ceiling, they need James and Davis to be the players they were during the 2019-20 season.

That's certainly a high bar to clear because the Lakers won the NBA title in the first season with James and Davis playing together. Their roster was much better at that time, with Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Alex Caruso playing valuable minutes.

Davis' performance in the bubble during the Lakers' playoff run is unlikely to be replicated. He shot 38.3 percent from behind the arc in 21 postseason games. The 29-year-old has only made 28.6 percent of his three-point attempts in three seasons with Los Angeles.

The main problem for Davis over the past two seasons has been availability. He's only appeared in 76 out of a possible 154 regular-season games since the start of the 2020-21 campaign.

Durability has been an issue for Davis throughout his career. The eight-time All-Star has only reached the 70-game mark in the regular season twice in 10 years.

According to Haynes, Ham said during the meeting he intends to "implement and stick with" the offense running through Davis, and James "concurred" with his coach.

It's a dangerous proposition because of how unreliable Davis' availability has been, but any serious injury he might suffer would derail their hopes for the 2022-23 season anyway.

The Lakers are 30-19 in the past two seasons with Davis and James in the lineup together. Their record drops to 45-60 during that span when at least one of them doesn't play.

LeBron James has made it no secret he wants to finish his career playing alongside his son Bronny.

Now that the elder James has inked a new two-year extension with the Los Angeles Lakers, is the dream of a #JamesGang linkup over?

Nope. Not in the slightest.

James' agent, Rich Paul, told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski that LeBron's extension comes with a player option for the 2024-25 season. The deal is essentially a one-year extension that gives James the option of remaining with the Lakers if he so chooses.

What's important about the 2024-25 season, you ask? Well, that's the first year Bronny James will be eligible to play in the NBA.

From a practical standpoint, nothing changes. James was almost certainly not going to leave the Lakers until the 2024 offseason, anyway. He's linked himself and his Lakers tenure to fellow Klutch client Anthony Davis, whose contract also carries a player option for the 2024-25 season.

Wojnarowski's report also makes a salient point about the Lakers' current cap situation. If the Lakers don't take on any more long-term salaries on their books beyond the 2023-24 season, they could have the space to add a third max contract with James and Davis. The Lakers are currently projected to have around $20 million in cap space next summer, so it would take some level of patience from the front office to keep that third max slot available.

Breaking News on NBA Today: LeBron James has agreed to an extension with Lakers. @wojespn with reporting on contract details, timing and what it means for the Lakers’ roster construction moving forward. pic.twitter.com/IzqbAlyoKJ

— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) August 17, 2022

That said, the fact James and Davis both have player options for the 2024-25 season is not an accident.

As far as Bronny James' situation goes, it's nearly impossible to look two years into the crystal ball and see where his basketball future lies. He's currently the No. 49 player in the 2023 high school class, per 247Sports. If he were anyone other than LeBron James' son, it's unlikely there would be much talk of him being a one-and-done talent.

Being the son of LeBron is a gift and a curse in this sense. Even if Bronny were to struggle in his post-high school career, there's little doubt he'd get a chance to at least sign on with an NBA team for training camp. This is a league, after all, that has signed LiAngelo Ball and Chris Smith in the past; relationships carry weight.

Whatever version of LeBron James that exists as he approaches age 40 in 2024 will have enough sway to get Bronny in the door of an NBA franchise — even if it's just for a cameo appearance.

On the other hand, if Bronny ascends to stardom over the next two years, the level of power LeBron can exert diminishes. A team that wants to draft Bronny isn't going to pass him over simply because they play in a market that does not appeal to an aging LeBron.

But as for what impact the new extension has on Bronny's future, the answer is none at all. That will be determined over the next 22 or so months.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James agreed to a contract extension Wednesday that will fatten his pockets.

James' agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group, told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski that the 37-year-old has signed a two-year, $97.1 million deal that includes a player option for the 2024-25 season. James is making $44.5 million this season in the final year of his previous contract.

Per Wojnarowski, James' deal could reach up to $111 million if the 2023-24 salary cap "rises to a substantially higher number." Per Spotrac, James is scheduled to make $46.7 million in the first year of his extension and $50.4 million in 2024-25.

This season, Spotrac calculates the Lakers to have total salary of $183.5 million, putting the team $59.8 million over the cap. Including James, Los Angeles only has eight players under contract for 2023-24, three of whom are on training camp/Exhibit 10 deals. When factoring in James' extension, the Lakers are projected to have a maximum possible salary-cap space of $31.9 million next year.

A four-time NBA champion, James will hope to lead Los Angeles back to prominence after helping the team win an NBA title in 2020. The Lakers had a disappointing campaign in 2021-22, finishing with a 33-49 record and falling short of the postseason. James missed 26 games while dealing with injuries throughout the year.

If the Lakers can stay healthy this season, they should establish themselves as contenders in the Western Conference.

Under new head coach Darvin Ham, Los Angeles is expected to improve on defense and solve its chemistry issues. James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook are entering their second year together, and they reportedly are committed to one another after they came to an understanding earlier this offseason.

With James in the fold for the next three seasons (if he exercises his option for 2024-25), the Lakers will look to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy at least one more time before the greatest player of his generation calls it a career.

LeBron James will be the highest-earning player in NBA history after his latest two-year extension with the Los Angeles Lakers.

James agreed to a two-year, $97.1 million contract extension Wednesday, which includes a player option for 2024-25, Klutch Sports' Rich Paul told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The guaranteed money puts him past Kevin Durant for the most earnings in league history:

The two-year, $97.1M extension, which includes a 15 percent trade kicker, makes LeBron James the highest earning player in NBA history with $532M in guaranteed money. He surpasses Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant. pic.twitter.com/UUHMspiKZp

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 17, 2022

James has earned $387 million over his first 19 years in the NBA, per Spotrac. He is set to make $44.5 million in 2022-23, which could have been the final year of his contract with the Lakers, but he will add another $48.6 million per year in his latest deal.

The lofty salary won't be the largest in the NBA even after the extension. Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is set to make $53.8 million per year in his latest deal, which will reach as high as $59.6 million in 2025-26.

Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal will also make over $50 million per year in his new five-year deal.

James still has the career record and is signed through his 22nd year in the NBA.

The 37-year-old has also accumulated wealth off the court, reaching a net worth of over $1 billion in June, per Chase Peterson-Withorn of Forbes. He has earned an estimated $900 million during his career in endorsements and other business ventures, per Forbes.

In 2022, James was the second-highest-paid athlete in the world behind only soccer star Lionel Messi, per Forbes. This came from an estimated $41.2 million on the court and $80 million off it.

The future Hall of Famer has certainly earned this income as one of the best players in NBA history with 18 All-Star selections, four MVP awards and four championships. If he stays healthy, he can become the league's all-time leading scorer next season.

It's safe to say LeBron has lived up to his lofty expectations when he was drafted first overall in 2003.

One of the greatest players of all time is staying put with the Los Angeles Lakers.

LeBron James agreed to a new two-year, $97.1 million contract with L.A. on Wednesday, agent Rich Paul told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski:

BREAKING: Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has agreed on a two-year, $97.1 million contract extension – including a player option for the 2024-2025 season, @KlutchSports CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN. James had been entering final year of deal worth $44.5M.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 17, 2022

The deal can increase to $111 million if the salary cap in 2023-2024 rises to a substantially higher number.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 17, 2022

James was previously scheduled for unrestricted free agency after the 2022-23 season.

When his contract status was looming, James talked about his goal of playing alongside his son Bronny in the NBA on multiple occasions. The younger James would be eligible for the 2024 NBA draft assuming the one-and-done rule remains in place.

"My last year will be played with my son," James said in February, per Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. "Wherever Bronny is at, that's where I'll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It's not about the money at that point."

While it remains to be seen if he will play on the same team as his son, the Lakers ensured James' time with the Purple and Gold is not over yet.

He was already a legend when he joined Los Angeles ahead of the 2019-20 campaign, and his resume now includes four championships, four NBA Finals MVPs, four league MVPs, 18 All-NBA selections, 18 All-Star nods and six All-Defensive selections.

Yet James' time with the Lakers didn't get off to an ideal start.

After reaching eight straight NBA Finals and dominating the Eastern Conference, he missed the playoffs in his first season in Los Angeles in 2018-19. It was the first time he had missed the postseason since his second season in the league in 2004-05.

The 2018-19 season largely derailed after the failure of initial Anthony Davis trade discussions during which Paul—the agent for both James and Davis—made it public knowledge the big man did not want to remain with the New Orleans Pelicans.

To the Lakers' credit, they landed Davis in a trade in the summer of 2019 and won a championship in their second season with James.

That made the James and Los Angeles pairing a success, although the team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in 2020-21. The Lakers missed the postseason again in 2021-22 even though their roster was littered with future Hall of Famers in the King, Davis, Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard.

It was hard to blame James for the Lakers' 33-49 record in 2021-22 since he averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per game despite turning 37 years old during the season.

The Lakers would be fine with numbers like that during his new deal.

The college recruitment of Bronny James has become a hot topic with many speculating on which school is the favorite to land the oldest son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.

On Tuesday, Jamie Shaw of On3 reported that Oregon is the front-runner to receive a commitment from Bronny. Not long afterward, his father responded to the report, saying it's still early in the recruiting process and Bronny will announce his choice when he makes it:

He hasn’t taken 1 visit yet and has only had a few calls with coaches and universities. When Bronny makes his choice you’ll hear it from him. #JamesGang👑 https://t.co/BBciKxl7m8

— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 17, 2022

Bronny James is ranked as the No. 7 shooting guard in the class of 2023 by 247Sports' composite rankings, but surprisingly, his page doesn't list a single scholarship offer. ESPN's Paul Biancardi reported Friday that there is a "strong feeling" James will choose to attend college instead of playing professionally before he's eligible for the NBA draft in 2024.

Per Shaw, Ohio State and USC are the other teams actively pursuing James in addition to Oregon. Biancardi had listed UCLA and Michigan as also having interest in James, but Shaw noted those two schools were not actively recruiting him.

James had a solid showing recently at Nike's Peach Jam, averaging 15.8 points with a 2.5-to-1.0 assist-to-turnover ratio, according to Shaw. He also drew attention on social media after his thunderous poster dunk Monday during a Euro Tour exhibition game in Paris.

BRONNY JAMES THROWS IT DOWN 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ikJ8ksPVSx

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 15, 2022

While James appears to be in no rush to announce his commitment, he is set for a crucial senior season at Sierra Canyon High School. All eyes will be on the son of one of the greatest NBA players ever as he tries to prove himself worthy of a Division I offer.

As we draw closer to the 2022-23 NBA season, it feels more and more likely that the Los Angeles Lakers will proceed with Russell Westbrook on the roster.

Westbrook's name has been a fixture of offseason trade rumors—especially those involving Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving. According to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times, however, general manager Rob Pelinka has been hesitant to attach multiple draft picks to Westbrook in trade talks.

This doesn't mean that Westbrook won't eventually be traded, of course, but new head coach Darvin Ham must prepare to have Westbrook, LeBron James and Anthony Davis as his three centerpieces this season.

As NBA insider Marc Stein recently noted (h/t Lakers Daily), getting Westbrook to buy into the plan could be challenging:

"Ham is going to have to coach Westbrook, which is bound to be challenging in the extreme given that Westbrook is well aware that the Lakers have been trying hard to move him. And that James badly wants Irving to take his place."

It's not an ideal situation for Ham, though the first-time head coach has an opportunity to salvage Westbrook's stint in Los Angeles. A big part of the problem last season was that Westbrook and former then-coach Frank Vogel clashed.

"I think it's unfortunate, to be honest, because I've never had an issue with any of my coaches before," Westbrook said in April, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "I'm not sure what his issue was with me or I'm not sure why, but I can't really give you an answer to why we really never connected."

As a new coach, Ham has a prime opportunity to take a fresh approach to the Lakers' roster. Instead of trying to force Westbrook, James and Davis into an established system, he can create a new one around L.A.'s Big Three.

The trick will be establishing the sort of chemistry between the three—and Los Angeles' supporting cast—that wasn't present last season. This will be important both for the 2022-23 season and for the Lakers' efforts to extend James beyond this season.

James, who is in the final year of his contract, is eligible to sign an extension at any time. According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, James recently met with Lakers management both to begin contract talks and to voice concerns.

One of his biggest concerns, per Haynes, was last year's lack of chemistry:

"James, sources said, drilled home the importance of consistent competitiveness and cohesion, noting that last season’s team didn’t give themselves a chance on many nights. The focus for the future Hall of Famer is competing every night in order to give themselves a chance to compete for a championship."

Ham can potentially ease James' worries by mapping out a plan for the roster as it currently sits. Per Haynes, this includes running the offense through Davis and hoping for more efficient three-point shooting from Westbrook.

This would represent a change of role for Westbrook, who has spent much of his career as the up-tempo centerpiece of his offenses. Getting Westbrook to buy in will be Ham's first challenge. Selling the plan to James will be his next.

It's imperative that the chemistry-building begin immediately. The Lakers cannot wait and hope that it develops over the course of the season, as the franchise seemed to do last season.

According to Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic, the Lakers are set to open the season against the defending-champion Golden State Warriors:

Scheduled for the NBA’s 2022-23 opening night and ring ceremony on TNT: Lakers at Warriors, Oct. 18, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 13, 2022

Nobody in the Lakers locker room—and especially not the legacy-conscious James—will want to be embarrassed in such a high-profile start to the season. And barring a sudden development on the trade front, L.A. will likely enter that game with its current roster.

"All parties appear to be aligned on a common vision of seeing how the roster plays out before any drastic moves are sought," Haynes wrote.

The core group of James, Davis and Westbrook was unsuccessful last season both because of injuries and because it never got the opportunity to build a rapport. The three only played 21 games together.

Most injuries cannot be avoided, but the Lakers can prepare their players to operate as a cohesive unit. That must be the primary focus moving forward. If a trade falls into place, so be it, but waiting will get the Lakers nowhere.

LeBron James will go down as one of the greatest players in NBA history, but will he be remembered as one of the Los Angeles Lakers' greats?

Former NBA forward and 2016 NBA champion Richard Jefferson, who played with James on the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2015-60 to 2016-17, doesn't think so.

James said during an appearance on the Road Trippin' podcast (h/t Brad Sullivan of Lakers Daily):

"LeBron James has not done enough as a Laker to be on that list. Bron been there now — this is his fourth season, right? They've been in there four seasons. Two years, they haven't made the postseason. One year, they lost in the first round. And one year, they won a championship."

Right now, it's hard to determine if James will be remembered as one of the L.A. greats. He led the franchise to an NBA title in 2020, but he is entering just his fifth season in Purple and Gold in 2022-23.

It's possible James helps the franchise win another title before his tenure in L.A. comes to an end. But, right now, the Lakers roster doesn't look much better than last year, and after all, basketball is a team sport, and the four-time NBA champion will need some help in his quest for a fifth title.

If James manages to be considered one of the Lakers greats, he'll join a list that includes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain.

It looks increasingly like Bronny James will choose college over pro ball for at least the 2023-24 season.

Paul Biancardi of ESPN reported there is a "strong feeling" James will attend college, with UCLA, USC, Michigan, Ohio State and Oregon among the schools that are heavily recruiting LeBron James' eldest son.

247Sports lists James as a 4-star recruit and the No. 43 overall player in the nation. He's in the midst of a European tour with the California Basketball Club as he prepares for his senior season at Sierra Canyon (California) High School.

The 6'3" shooting guard has shown he's inherited a high basketball IQ, flashing elite passing skills and demonstrating a heady feel for the game, particularly for a 17-year-old. He also uses his athleticism and smarts to play committed defense, and Biancardi noted he's able to keep his head in the game even when his shot isn't falling.

It's worth noting there are no official offers listed on James' 247Sports page. Being the son of an NBA legend allows Bronny to essentially dictate his own future, and every program in the country would be glad to have him simply on the basis of his association with his father.

There had been widespread speculation that Bronny James would bypass college and take the professional route. While the NBA does not allow players to enter the draft until they are one year removed from high school, James could join the G League Ignite in hopes of improving his draft stock.

It'll likely be nearly impossible to lock down any concrete information on James' future until he makes a decision. Being the son of LeBron opens up every opportunity in the basketball world, but that pressure and outside attention also make finding the right situation critical.