“Where will LeBron James go?” is the most important question your Los Angeles Lakers need to answer this coming summer. James’s contract has a player option. He had the choice to stay on the team or accept his $51.4 million compensation. If the Purple and Gold are willing to give James a bit more than his current salary, James has a legitimate and realistic choice to stay with them for the remainder of his career.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks and Dave McMenamin state that all indications point to a contract between James and the Lakers being reached this summer. James has earned more than $482 million in pay during his career. If he chooses to accept his $51.4 million salary, signs a new deal with the Lakers, or—a less probable possibility—signs with a another team, he would become the first player in NBA history to surpass the $500 million threshold.
James has several alternatives, and there are a lot of determining elements. What his son, USC freshman guard Bronny James, chooses to do may be the biggest decisive influence. Will he return to USC for his second year or file for the draft in 2024? Although he has been insistent about wanting to play with his kid, the four-time MVP might not be able to do so in the upcoming NBA season. Regarding his alternatives outside of the Lakers, the Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers, and Orlando Magic are the only clubs with significant financial resources this summer. We don’t see James packing up and moving to those locations, even if two of those three are developing teams and the 76ers are a formidable opponent each season.