As the NBA offseason progresses, the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James are in contract talks. While James has one year left on his current contract in the form of a player option, he is expected to opt out of the remaining year and seek a new contract. It is reported that the team is believed to work with James to meet his conditions.
Of course, that means whether the four-time champion will sign a one-year contract or a three-year max contract, only time will tell. With James nearing retirement, both options have pros and cons for him, however, some are better than others for the Lakers.
Today, James will be a free agent, so let's take a look at three things that could happen when James is about to become a free agent.
LeBron James' contract negotiations could have three implications for the Lakers
3. LeBron James took a pay cut to renew his contract with the Lakers
It's no secret that the Lakers want to win right now. Whether the Kings sign a one-year contract or a three-year extension, the team wants to make the most of his time with the team. To help the team earn championship rings in the best position, James has the option to take a pay cut and sign a team-friendly contract.
Doing so will provide flexibility to add other notable role players to their roster as they begin to negotiate in free agency. In this case, the question will be how much of a pay cut the four-time champion is willing to accept.
2. LeBron James signed a short-term contract to retain the option
As LeBron James has said before, he wants to play in the NBA with his two sons, either alongside them or against them. With Bronny James now with the Lakers, LeBron is ready to play with a son, and the question now is whether he'll stay to play with Bryce.
While Bryce James has expressed doubts that his father will stay until he qualifies for the 2026 draft, the four-time champion may seek to sign a short-term contract. That way, Bryce can sign a short-term contract wherever he goes.
1. LeBron James can sign a contract with a maximum salary of 3 years with non-tradable terms
After 8 years in the NBA and 4 years with a team, players are eligible to include a non-tradable clause in their contract. That means in addition to James' possible three-year contract extension with the Lakers, he could also ask for a no-trade clause.
This would keep James under contract beyond the age of 40. Still, as we've seen in the past, James' stats haven't dropped much in the twilight of his career, and he seems poised to be a consistent scorer for the Lakers as long as he stays healthy.
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