After He Opted Out Of A $51.4 Million Contract, What’s LeBron James’s Next Move?

ByJoey Heldon July 2, 2024inArticles›Sports News

This is often a tense time of year for NBA teams. We’re in the period between the NBA Draft and the start of free agency. There are a few days where teams technically can’t negotiate, and then about a week where they can, and come July 6, they can officially sign with a team, whether it’s their current squad or a new one. This is also the time when guys who have player options choose to either play their final year or opt out of their contracts. Paul George informed the Los Angeles Clippers he’d be opting out of his $48.7 million contract for next season, and LeBron James did the same with the Los Angeles Lakers, opting out of his $51.4 million deal.

Early reports seem to indicate George is on his way to another team, with the Philadelphia 76ers being the frontrunner. We’ll keep an eye on his movements, but for now, let’s focus on LeBron. The Lakers used the No. 55 draft pick on his son, Bronny James . If you’ve paid attention to the college and foreign basketball scene, you’d know Bronny James was not a top 58 (the number of picks in this draft) or even a top 100 player this past season.

But when your dad is arguably the greatest player of all time, you can get your foot in doors that aren’t open to everybody. Now, the question is what the elder James plans to do.

Harry How/Getty Images

It seems like James is set on staying with the Lakers and at least getting the opportunity to play with his son. They would be the first father-son duo to ever take the court together. LeBron has accomplished plenty in the NBA, and while in Los Angeles, he set the all-time scoring record in 2023. Why not do something else historical in the City of Angels?

If James does return to the Lakers, he’ll have a choice. He could either sign for a long-term deal to maximize his earnings, take a pay cut to allow the Lakers to strengthen the roster around him, or continue the “one-and-one” contracts he’s signed in the later stages of his career. These deals are for two years, but the second is a player option. With the salary cap increasing quite a bit every year, James has ensured he’s getting the highest amount possible each season.

Few players could bet on themselves with such regular success. James has avoided major injury while continuing to be a top player in the NBA, so he can dictate his contracts a bit more than just about everyone else in the league.

But with Bronny in tow, will LeBron go the pay-cut route instead? He turns 40 this season, and the Lakers, as constructed, are probably not good enough to win the championship. However, if James could lure a savvy veteran or two, the Lakers could be in business.

Whatever James decides to do, it’s very likely we’ll witness history this upcoming season. And that’s never a bad thing.

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LeBron James Will Take A Massive Pay Cut To Play With His Son Next Season

ByJoey Heldon February 28, 2022inArticles›Sports News

This year’s NBA All-Star Weekend was extra full of festivities. The NBA celebrated its 75th Anniversary Team of stars past and present and unveiled a few new competition formats. Karl-Anthony Towns won the Three-Point Contest, a rare victory for a big man in that event. And the Slam Dunk Contest…well, the less said about that, the better.

The weekend ended with LeBron James hitting the game-ending shot in the All-Star Game, giving his team the 163-160 victory. But it was a remark LeBron made off the court that has left the entire NBA world buzzing.

“Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be,” James said to The Athletic . “I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point.”

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

The elder James is a free agent after the 2023 season. Meanwhile, Bronny Jr. is a junior in high school right now. Due to the NBA’s rules, he’d have to be at least one year removed from high school and turn 19 during that season’s draft year. The traditional route means he’d first be eligible during the 2024 NBA Draft. However, if Bronny reclassifies his high school standing and graduates this summer, his birthday (October 6, 2004) means he could technically be eligible for the 2023 NBA Draft.

Let’s say Bronny goes the traditional route and finishes up four years of high school. By the time the 2024-25 season starts, LeBron would be 40 and Bronny would be 20. We haven’t seen a ton of 40-year-old NBA players over the years, but then again, we haven’t seen someone built like LeBron James before.

While there may be a year of free agency purgatory, James is now in play for every franchise. Just how much money would he give up to play with his son?

James will make $41,480,544 this season, and he’ll earn $44,474,988 during the 2022-23 season. At the level he’s playing, it’s not inconceivable that he would, under normal circumstances, sign another three or four-year deal worth $40-$50 million annually. Instead, to play with Bronny, James would be willing to take a massive pay cut and sign for as little as the veteran’s minimum: $2.8 million.

Or, to put it another way—as The Action Network’s Darren Rovell notes , James would give up making $2.8 million every five games to earning that for the entire season.

Don’t feel too bad for LeBron, though. He’s made about $330 million in on-court salary throughout his career and has likely surpassed a billion dollars in overall earnings, between his NBA salary, endorsements, and business ventures.

So, yes, LeBron is correct when he says it’s not about the money. Playing with his son in the NBA would be an accomplishment no other player has achieved—and something that may never happen again.

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LeBron James Wants To “Break The Mold” With His Next Contract… Here’s What That Means

ByJoey Heldon January 3, 2018inArticles›Sports News

LeBron James will be a free agent this summer, which means people are already talking about where he’ll wind up. He could re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He may move out west and join the Los Angeles Lakers. Or he might form another super team, this time with the Houston Rockets.

Or maybe he’ll do something completely unexpected. After all, nobody saw him signing with the Miami Heat in 2010 or returning to Cleveland in 2014.

LeBron knows the media hangs onto his every word. He’ll throw a few tasty morsels out there every so often to stir the pot and get people talking.

“I want to kind of try to break the mold just for the next generation. Just take the narrative out of, ‘You’re past your prime when you hit 31,’ or ‘You’re past your prime in your 12th year in the league,’ or whatever the case may be,” James told Joe Vardon in an interview with Cleveland.com. “Hopefully I can break the mold so when the next guy comes, he can still get $200 or $300 million and be 33 years old. I’m serious.”

So… just what does LeBron mean by “break the mold?”

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

For Cavs fans, they’re hoping LeBron means he’ll stop signing the short-term deals that he’s done the past few years and re-sign for the long haul. LeBron isn’t planning to take a discount to sign somewhere, and he’ll make the most money by staying in Cleveland. Based on current salary cap projections, he could make $207 million over five years with the Cavs.

LeBron was set to sign the first $200+ million contract two summers ago but was foiled by a peculiar league rule that players (including LeBron) have since altered to be more beneficial to athletes. Even 15 years into his career, he’s still playing at an MVP-caliber level. Most 33-year-old players aren’t the best in the league, so LeBron’s already breaking the mold in that regard.

However, LeBron could simply be talking about changing the narrative on how older players sign their contracts. Most players around LeBron’s age will sign one last long-term contract as their careers come to a close. He may be suggesting that they don’t have to do that simply for the security – one- and two-year deals can still be fruitful.

Whatever the case may be, LeBron’s free agency will be the biggest story this summer. Just about every other move will hinge on what he decides to do. And like his other career decisions, it will reverberate throughout the league for years to come.

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• After He Opted Out Of A $51.4 Million Contract, What’s LeBron James’s Next Move?