Before the Los Angeles Lakers embark on any potential free-agent signings or trades this summer, they need to see what happens with LeBron James’ potential free agency.
He can opt out of his current contract, which has one season remaining on it, to become a free agent. While it is always possible he leaves the Lakers this summer, there is a general belief that he will remain with them.
If he stays put, the question is, assuming he opts out, what would a new deal look like for him? Dave McMenamin of ESPN said on “The Rich Eisen Show” that the terms of a new contract would essentially be up to him (at 16:15).
“The Lakers intend to have LeBron James come back on any term that he wants to,” McMenamin said. “Whether that be a one-year deal, two-year deal, three-year deal, whatever. They’d love to continue to have LeBron James in the purple and gold until he calls it quits, whenever that may be.”
Many Lakers fans will not like the idea of the team paying James upward of $50 million a year for two or three more seasons. But the alternative would be the team not having any shot at contending for an NBA championship for an indeterminate period.