On June 30, Beijing time, according to a report by Shams, after the Lakers selected Bronny with the 55th pick in the second round, now that the goal of James and his son on the same team has been achieved, James plans to give up the $51.4 million player option for next season, and he is expected to sign a new contract with the Lakers. James can sign up to a three-year, $162 million max contract, including a trade veto, and is expected to stay with the Lakers for the rest of his life.
Although James is 39 years old, he is still in excellent form. James averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game in the regular season last season, and also led the Lakers to the inaugural Midseason Championship, where he was named MVP.
Although the Lakers led by James lost 1-4 to the defending champion Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs, they still averaged 27.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 2.4 steals and 1 block per game in the playoffs.
Now that James' eldest son Bronny has been drafted by the Lakers, the next question is naturally James' own contract extension. James plans to forgo his $51.4 million player option for next season, and he is expected to re-sign to a brand new contract with the Lakers.
According to previous reports, the Lakers will meet any contract requirements of James, including adding him to the trade veto. According to ESPN salary expert Bobby Marks, James is eligible to re-sign up to three years with the Lakers for a maximum salary cap of $162 million, and his new contract will last until the 2026-27 season, which will also be the largest single contract of James' career.