As is often the case, it was ESPN that broke the news Wednesday that the California faithful had been waiting for: LeBron James had committed to two more years with the Lakers on a $104 million contract, including an optional season of his choosing.
James, who in March became the first player in NBA history to surpass the 40,000-point mark in a regular season, will celebrate his 40th birthday on Dec. 30.
Although his Lakers, who were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Denver (1-4) in April, are coming off a disappointing season (they hired a new coach, J.J. Reddick), the 2003 first-round pick continues to defy the times: Last year he averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists in 35.3 minutes in 76 games.
Free agent LeBron James has agreed to a two-year, $104 million max deal to return to the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell ESPN. The deal includes a player option and no trade clause. pic.twitter.com/gAEOmvfAzZ
-Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 3, 2024
The size of James’ new contract may come as a surprise, given recent statements from his agent, Rich Paul, who suggested his client could make an effort to give “team improvement priority”.
Klay Thompson, James Harden and Jonas Valanciunas have been mentioned as possible reinforcements in recent days, but they preferred other destinations.
After 13 years with the Warriors, Thompson signed a three-year contract with Dallas, the Lithuanian center signed a contract (also for three years) with Washington, while Harden opted to stay for two years with the Clippers.