LeBron James has agreed to a two-year, $104 million (£82m) maximum contract to return to the Los Angeles Lakers, according to ESPN. The deal includes a no-trade clause, as reported by Adrian Wojnarowski. The 39-year-old opted out of his previous contract last week, but his return was widely expected after the Lakers drafted his son, Bronny James, with the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
The agreement ensures that LeBron and Bronny will become the first father-son duo to play together in NBA history. LeBron expressed his emotions on social media following the draft, writing, 'Just had a moment!' Bronny, who suffered a cardiac arrest in 2023, averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in his sole college season at USC. He addressed accusations of nepotism, stating, 'I've been dealing with this stuff for my whole life. It's nothing different.'
LeBron's new contract will see him earn an average annual salary of $51 million, placing him among the NBA's highest-paid players alongside Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, and Kevin Durant. When the deal expires after the 2025-26 season, LeBron will have earned $583 million in salary over 23 seasons. Despite his age, he remains an All-Star, averaging 25.7 points and 7.3 rebounds last season while shooting a career-best 41% from three-point range.
The Lakers, who lost to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs, have also hired JJ Redick as head coach after failing to sign Dan Hurley. Bronny is set to make his debut for the Lakers in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas on July 6.
