LeBron James agrees to a two-year $97.1M deal with the Lakers

• NBA star LeBron James has a new deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, which runs for two years
• The contract includes a player option for a third year for the 2024-25 season.
• James becomes the highest-paid NBA player ever after the $97.1 million contract.
• Even with the availability of James, the Los Angeles Lakers failed to qualify for the playoffs due to a dismal season

LeBron James has signed to a two-year, $97.1 million contract agreement with a player option for a third year, which would most certainly keep the Lakers star in Los Angeles for as long as he chooses. The extension also includes a third-year player option.

James becomes the highest-paid player in NBA history

According to sources, The new contract will make James, 37 years old, the highest-earning player in the history of the NBA.

Lakers’ Lebron James becomes the highest-paid player in the NBA history. PHOTO: The Japan Times

He will have a total of $532 million in guaranteed earnings over the course of his career.

According to the website Spotrac, which tracks salaries, LeBron James will now have a greater lifetime earning potential than Kevin Durant, thanks to his new contract, which will guarantee him a minimum of $528.9 million over the course of his career.

Fears that James, a four-time NBA champion and 18-time All-Star who is approaching the final year of his contract (for $44.5 million), would test the waters of free agency next summer have been put to rest by the pact.

James has won MPV awards four times

James, a four-time NBA Most Valuable Player who will turn 38 in December and will be 38 or older when his current deal expires and is only allowed to sign a two-year extension.

This restriction results from regulation in the league’s collective bargaining agreement.

James’s quest to learn more history is just one of the many narrative threads that will carry over into the new season.

Suppose he stays healthy and continues to score at the rate of 27 points per game throughout his career. In that case, he will overtake Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at some point in January, provided that he does not suffer any injuries in the meanwhile.

In 2022, despite LeBron James’s averages of 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists throughout 56 games played, the Los Angeles Lakers failed to qualify for the playoffs due to a dismal season.

LA Lakers Lebron James. PHOTO: Man of Many

However, the 17-time NBA champions have the financial flexibility to add a third max contract player to a star-studded front line that already features James and Anthony Davis during the offseason of the 2024 NBA season.

Another significant achievement for James has led to the renewal of his contract. According to Forbes, he became the first active player in the National Basketball Association to earn the title of billionaire earlier this year.

James’s nett worth of $1.2 billion includes cash from endorsement deals, business interests, and his very own entertainment production firm, in addition to the salary he receives from the NBA.

James begins his 20th season with the Lakers. He won his first championship with the team in 2020 and is looking to capture his second title with them this season.