SUMMARY
- LeBron James signed a 2-year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, earning $99,023,288.
- NBA insider Brian Windhorst suggests that LeBron James may be looking to sign a nine-figure, multiyear deal with the Lakers.
LeBron James signed a 2-year contract worth $99,023,288 with the Los Angeles Lakers after getting a 1-year extension on his previous contract. In the 2023–2024 season, the star forward of the California team is earning $47,607,350. Furthermore, his salary could increase in his next season with the ‘Showtime Lakers’ if he decides to stay with the Lakers.
The Lakers were riding on a three-game winning streak before facing a defeat vs. the Warriors, and now they are standing at No. 9 in the Western Conference. ‘The Akron Hammer’ has played a very big role in turning around the game for the trailing roster. The 39-year-old small/power forward has cloaked more than 30 minutes on the hardwood for the last 13 games. It’s a fact that the Lakers depend on the former star of the Cleveland Cavaliers to bag another championship.
NBA insider believes LeBron wants 9-figure deal worth more than current contract from Lakers this offseason: https://t.co/V97LmmVeqc
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 22, 2024
However, is the team willing to sign a nine-figure, multi-year deal with the 20X NBA All-Star? NBA insider Brian Windhorst unraveled some claims on the recent episode of ESPN’s ‘First Take.’ Windhorst said, “First off, I think LeBron is angling to sign a multiyear deal in the offseason with the Lakers that will be nine figures. That will be even bigger than the deal he is on now.”
This statement by Brian Windhorst can only be considered if James decides to stay with the team after this offseason. However, the bigger question is: Should the Lakers retain the player or say bye-bye to another NBA championship?
LeBron James has a player option for the 2024-2025 season
According to the present 2-year contract, LeBron has a player option in his next season with the Lakers. Although his base salary will escalate to a whopping $51,415,938 in the 2024–25 season, the team’s dependence on him to bag a championship undervalues this amount. ‘King James’ has played 49 games this season and is averaging 24.8 points per game, 7.2 rebounds, and 7.8 assists while shooting 52.0% from the field.
According to NBA insider Brian Kelly, this doesn’t seem to be LeBron’s last stand with the Lakers. However, if James decides not to leave the California team, then it may be difficult for the Lakers to trade the player. The ‘Showtime Lakers’ decided not to trade the superstar to the Golden State Warriors or the Philadelphia 76ers before the February 8 trade deadline.
However, is the team ready to sign a three-year contract with the 4X NBA champion and retain him until he is 42 years old? Since there is a lot of conjecture surrounding this astronomical amount of money that the Lakers’ superstar might demand, the fans might be shocked to hear that LeBron James has a business off-court that is worth the same amount.
LeBron James already has a billion-dollar off-court brand
LeBron James and his longtime business partner, Maverick Carter, entered the entertainment industry with the idea of a production house. The two launched SpringHill Entertainment in 2007 to encash the already-booming entertainment industry. Furthermore, it was after James’ return to the Cleveland Cavaliers that Turner Sports and Warner Bros. pumped an exorbitant amount of money into the company.
All this led to the birth of ‘Uninterrupted’. Turner Sports, a subsidiary of Warner Bros., announced an investment worth $15.8 million to boost the production process for the brand. By 2024, the brand will have a market worth of over $1 million. Brian Windhorst mentioned in his book, ‘LeBron Inc.: The Making of a Billion-Dollar Athlete’ how this one business venture could turn LeBron’s worth from nine figures into ten.