LeBron James carves a path forward with Lakers amid ‘productive’ contract talks

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is working on a renewal with the Lakers in his spare time – and so far, things are reportedly going well.

LeBron James is halfway through a two-year, $85 million deal with the Lakers, but James and his camp have their eyes on the future.

Although James is under contract for the 2022/23 season $44.5 millionthat didn’t stop King James from searching for a king’s ransom in Los Angeles for another year or two.

As of August 4th, James is now eligible sign a contract extension with the Lakers. While ESPN’s Dave McMenamin indicated that nothing is “imminent,” he also reported that contract talks have begun between James and Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka.

While there’s little to do at this point, LeBron fans can rest assured that the contract talks have been “productive” as both sides try to reach an agreement.

LeBron James begins ‘productive’ Lakers contract extension talks

McMenamin explained that James could be after a two-year $97 million extension or a one-year $47 million extension. The Lakers already boast two of the highest-paid players in the NBA, meaning another massive contract for James could have debilitating consequences for the rest of the roster.

James is already in the NBA third highest paid player behind Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry and his Lakers teammate Russell Westbrook for the upcoming season.

Next season, Westbrook will take 25 percent of the team’s cap spot, James 24 percent, and Anthony Davis 20.7 percent at $37.9 million a year Spotrac.

That leaves about 30 percent for everyone else.

Talen Horton-Tucker is the fourth highest-paid player on the Lakers roster at $10.2 million for the 2022-23 season, and he occupies just 5.6 percent of the current cap percentage. Horton-Tucker has been sent off as a possible trade chip all year, though his contract compares to Peanuts compared to the monumental deals of Team’s biggest three stars.

That being said, the Lakers are unlikely to force James to take a significant pay cut, and the team has already created tremendous space to house James, Davis and Westbrook for the year ahead. James is unlikely to offer the team much flexibility with his contract, otherwise he could use his talents elsewhere.

Of course, there’s a good reason James, Davis, and Westbrook signed the deals they made, since NBA teams are tasked with filling roster holes with freshmen and young, underappreciated — or underpaid — talent. Striking a team-friendly deal isn’t something League Superstars have to do – someone will pay a premium for LeBron James.

McMenamin mentioned that there are two key factors in determining where LeBron will end his illustrious career: whether or not a team can get him another ring and whether or not he can play with his son. Bronnie James.

Although James’ extension talks are just beginning, his massive decision will affect not only the Lakers but the future of the league as it decides where LeBron and Bronny will end up.