close
close
luxury

Lakers’ Head Snake Makes $51.4 Million Contract Decision

Posted on by Vaseline

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has decided to opt out of his contract before the 2024 offseason, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

Lakers’ Snake Head Makes $51.4 Million Contract Decision

James would make $51.4 million in 2024-2025. He could re-sign with the Lakers for as much as $160 million over three years. That said, the 39-year-old is expected to return to LA for his 22nd season (his seventh with the Lakers).

Wearing their heart on their sleeve

Los Angeles has made it clear that they want to keep the league’s all-time leading scorer in purple and gold.

James took a hands-off approach in a coaching search heavily influenced by Anthony Davis. Still, his friendship with JJ Redick is no secret. Furthermore, given Davis’ relationship with James, he likely took James’ thoughts into account. Ultimately, James was always a factor in the coaching search.

Whether they hired Redick or Dan Hurley, the goal was to impress him and get the right long-term head coach.

LA’s decision to draft his son this week was also strategic. Getting drafted is the experience of a lifetime for someone who wants to be in the NBA. Frankly, all 30 NBA teams could have left him undrafted. They could have signed him after using their draft picks on players they considered more valuable.

Still, the Lakers made his son’s dreams come true. At worst it was a nice gesture.

Moreover, it is unlikely that James would leave his eldest son to his fate with the Lakers. That is not consistent with the protective nature he has shown as a father. For all the talk about them being okay with not working together in the NBA, it’s inconsistent with the fact that he’s said for years that he’d like to play on the same team as his progeny.

How much longer can LeBron dominate?

The plan seems to be for James to play more off-ball next season. This could conserve his energy, lead to a more balanced shot distribution and prevent him from relying on his declining athleticism. It may even help him stay healthy because he won’t have to put as much pressure on his ailing ankles.

Of course, James has to nail his long bombs. That said, it’s fair to question whether he can do that. On the one hand, James made a career-high 41.0 percent of his 3s last season. On the other hand, he is a career 3-point shooter at 34.8 percent. In fact, he converted just 34.6 percent of his 3s from 2018-19 to 2022-23.

If James’ jumper is out, he could lean into his post play. However, this requires more energy than tracking it down. Plus, because of the footwork involved, it still leaves him vulnerable to foot injuries.

Ultimately, the 20-time All-Star may resort to his tried and true methods. As a first-year head coach who will learn as much from James as he leads him, Redick could very well let him.