LeBron James Predicted To Sign New $105 Million Contract With Lakers

LeBron James has a player option to return to the Los Angeles Lakers next season. The four-time MVP and four-time Finals MVP turns 41 in December. 

James can decline his 2025-26 player option and become an unrestricted free agent this summer. If he doesn’t retire, no one expects the leading scorer of all time to leave the Lakers since his son, Bronny James, and Luka Doncic are on the team. 

One NBA analyst thinks James will decline his 2025-26 player option and sign a new contract with the Lakers this summer. Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report predicts that the future Hall of Famer will sign a two-year, roughly $105 million contract with Los Angeles.

James appeared in 70 games for the Lakers during the 2024-25 regular season. He averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.6 blocks.

Despite having James and Doncic, the Lakers lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the 2025 playoffs in five games. James, who suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee in Game 5, averaged 25.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.8 blocks in the Lakers-Timberwolves series. 

After playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2014-15 to 2017-18, James signed with the Lakers in the summer of 2018. Los Angeles missed the postseason in 2019, won the title in 2020, lost in the first round of the 2021 postseason, missed the postseason in 2022, lost in the conference finals in 2023 and lost in the first round of the 2024 and 2025 playoffs. 

Arguably the greatest player of all time, James has played for the Cavaliers (twice), Miami Heat and Lakers. He has career averages of 27.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.7 blocks.