LeBron James shook the foundation of the NBA six years ago when he left the Cleveland Cavaliers for a second time to join the Lakers. However, the face of the Los Angeles franchise did not really leave a lot of people wondering what he would do this offseason. Number 23 did decide to opt out of the final year of his two-year, $97.1 million extension he inked back in 2022. But the free agency "drama" did not last more than a week. The King is returning to the purple and gold on another two-year max contract, although this time it worth $104 million.
That deal was confirmed by Dime, as well as NBA insiders Shams Charania and Adrian Wojnarowski. In addition to the max money, James also as has a no-trade clause and a player option for the final year. Unfortunately, this negotiation further hampers the possibility of adding any other higher-level talent to the roster. However, it does not matter all that much as LeBron's key targets --Klay Thompson, Jonas Valanciunas, James Harden-- are no longer available.
LeBron James Will Be A Laker For At Least 2 More Years
Perhaps, the Lakers could go out and acquire Bulls guard/forward DeMar DeRozan. But in terms of a roster fit, his game is not really the ideal marriage. The Lakers need extra deep shooting, and DeRozan, while still an effective scorer, is not the guy you think of when it comes to being a three-ball specialist. There is still time for the front office to work some numbers, but as it stands, LeGM's team remains nearly the same as last year. They were the eighth seed in the Western Conference and were bounced out of the playoffs again by the Nuggets, this time in five in the first round.
What are your thoughts on LeBron James resigning with the Los Angeles Lakers? Did they overpay or hit the nail on the head with the contract, why or why not? Do you see the team winning another championship in these next two seasons? If not, who should they go after to round out this roster? We would like to hear what you have to say, so leave your thoughts in the comments. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding LeBron James, the NBA, and the Los Angeles Lakers. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the sports world.