Aside from finding their next head coach, the biggest question for the Los Angeles Lakers revolves around superstar LeBron James and his contract. LeBron has a player option for next year, the final on his deal, and could choose to opt out and hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent.
The overwhelming belief early on in the Lakers offseason is that James will choose to opt out of the final year of his deal and hit free agency. But that is just speculation and there remains a possibility that he could just opt in and play out the remainder of his contract, perhaps signing an extension as well.
According to Shams Charania and Jovan Buha of The Athletic, opting in and opting out are both on the table for LeBron, who could still play two more NBA seasons:
James has a June 29 deadline for his $51.4 million player option for the 2024-25 season. League sources told The Athletic that the opt-in and opt-out routes are both on the table, and the leading scorer in NBA history is expected to play up to two more seasons.
One of the reasons it is believed that LeBron would opt out is because it would give him the ability to receive a no-trade clause in his next deal, which is something very few NBA players are able to receive.
It is still expected that LeBron will ultimately remain with the Lakers for the remainder of his career, regardless of how much longer he plays. But the route he chooses to get there could have big implications for the franchise over the next few years.
LeBron will do what is best for him and nobody is sure what his decision will be. But as long as the end result is him in the purple and gold, both James and the Lakers will be extremely happy.
LeBron James not involved in Lakers head coach search
One thing that apparently is not on the mind of LeBron James is who the Lakers will hire as their next head coach. This seems a bit odd as whoever the Lakers bring in should be on the same page as the team’s leader and superstar, but he is reportedly staying out of this decision.
The latest rumor suggested that LeBron is not involved in any way in the Lakers search for their next head coach. Despite his relationship with potential candidate JJ Redick, James is apparently leaving it up to the Lakers organization to make the right choice without his input.
More must-reads: