With the L.A. Lakers now firmly eliminated from the playoffs, it is being reported that LeBron James intends to turn free agent for next season and will begin taking offers from other teams.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, it James will not take the $51.4 million Lakers player option for the 2024-25 season.
“I do think LeBron intends to opt out of his contract and become a free agent for the first time since 2018,” Windhorst said on Tuesday. “I think that will apply a little bit of pressure to the Lakers.”
Despite the report, though, James refused to add any fuel to the fire after the Lakers’ 108-106 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday. When asked what he sees in his future, he firmly replied, “Um, I’m not going to answer that.”
Windhorst, though, had an explanation for why James would not comment.
“I think he wants to see what the Lakers do around the draft,” Windhorst explained. “They have potentially three first-round picks they can trade, a couple of contracts they can package with it to upgrade the team. You remember that they did not make any significant upgrades to this team at the trade deadline. LeBron did not forget that and I think he likes to have that pressure on them.”
Another consideration is his son, Bronny, who is likely preparing for the NBA Draft. James has said he really wants to play on the same team as his son, but if he opts in for the Lakers too soon, Bronny might get snapped up by another team, and LeBron would have no option but to jump the Lakers ship and seek a spot alongside his son.
Bronny James, #6 of the USC Trojans, greets his dad, LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, before the game against the Stanford Cardinal at Galen Center on January 06, 2024, in Los Angeles, California. (Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
If he waits to make his decision on playing for the Lakers or going free agent, he will give himself some time to find out where Bronny ends up.
Windhorst added that the Lakers would have a few chances to draft Bronny.
Finally, another attractive reason to go free agent is that there is the potential for a bigger contract deal. If he chooses to opt in with the Lakers, he’ll only be guaranteed a one-year deal and a $51 million payout. But if he goes free agent, he could earn a lot more as other teams bid against each other to get him for themselves.
“He can potentially get multi-years, and he does not have a no-trade clause in his contract,” Windhorst pointed out. “There’s only one out there in the NBA, and it belongs to Bradley Beal. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d like to lock that in as well. I do think we’re going to be hearing some silence from LeBron between now and the end of June as we watch what the Lakers do as a team.”
James already has a history of jumping ship with a free agency. He dumped the Cavaliers in 2010, left the Heat for the Cavaliers in 2014, and dumped the Cavs for the Lakers in 2018.
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