The L.A. Lakers and LeBron James agreed to a two-year contract extension worth $97.1 million with a third-year player option included.
The deal includes a 15 percent trade kicker, making James the highest-paid player in NBA history with $532 million in career earnings, according to ESPN.
James signed the new deal as he was beginning the final year of his $44.5 million deal, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported.
“The deal can increase to $111 million if the salary cap in 2023-2024 rises to a substantially higher number.,” Wojnarowski added.
Because he took an extension, James was ineligible for a no-trade clause.
The new deal pushes James past Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant as the top earning NBA player.
James was limited to a two-year contract because the league’s collective bargaining deal changes for players once they reach 38, which James will hit on December 30.
The Lakers missed the playoffs in 2022 for the second year in a row, as James rode the bench due to an ankle injury.
But recently, he’s been slowing down. For instance, he played the least amount of games (45) that he ever played in a single season during the 2020-21 season, Outkick noted.
James missed 26 games due to ankle injuries. And the Lakers went 8-18 without him and ended the season with a 33-49 record.
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