LeBron James has agreed to return to the Los Angeles Lakers on a two-year, $104 million contract that includes a player option for 2025-26 and a no-trade clause, sources told ESPN on Wednesday.
The deal brings James back for his 22nd NBA season and essentially becomes a one-plus-one deal that allows him to reassess his Lakers and NBA future next summer.
James joins Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal as one of only two players in the NBA with no-trade clauses.
The maximum deal of $104 million would put the Lakers about $1 million over the league’s new punitive salary second apron and would severely limit the team’s roster flexibility. James’ agent Rich Paul, the CEO of Klutch Sports, is planning to discuss with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka the possibility of taking $1 million or so below the maximum to keep Los Angeles under the $188.9 million second apron, sources said.
The Lakers also reached an agreement Wednesday to sign Bronny James Jr. — the 55th selection in this year’s draft — to his rookie contract, a league source told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. He agreed to a four-year, $7.9 million deal with a team option on the fourth year, the source said.
Bronny James will join his father on the Lakers roster, where they could be the first father-son duo to play in the NBA at the same time in league history.
LeBron James, who will turn 40 on Dec. 30, is considered one of the greatest players in NBA history. The only player to eclipse 40,000 career points, he is fourth all time in assists, eighth in steals, eighth in 3-pointers made and third in free throws made.
