LeBron James Expected To Pick Up $52.6M Player Option With Lakers

[RealGM Wiretap]

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James is expected to pick up his player option for the 2025-26 season. That will see James on the Lakers books for $52.6 million for next season.

This is a bit of a departure from previous years for James. The superstar forward has generally preferred to opt out and sign two-year contracts, with a player option on the second season.

James picking up his option would likely leave Los Angeles with enough room to sign a player via the $5.7 million Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception. This is somewhat dependent on forward Dorian Finney-Smith, who has a $15.4 million player option of his own for next season.

Via Dave McMenamin/ESPN

[MegaK]

Yo get yo bread king playa bro. Laker got the deep pocket nowadays bro. Yo let me get some dough now bro.

[RipCityKJ]

LeBron putting the team first as usual. Now his salary gives them no cap leverage like other players have recently done when signing new deals. It will take less than a month into the season when he starts demanding the front office to get better talent on team.

[JM00n69]

Yo get yo bread king playa bro. Laker got the deep pocket nowadays bro. Yo let me get some dough now bro.

bro bro bro bread yo

[Vegeta10176]

LeBron putting the team first as usual. Now his salary gives them no cap leverage like other players have recently done when signing new deals. It will take less than a month into the season when he starts demanding the front office to get better talent on team.

1. For years the FO has done nothing to get more talent even with AD and Lebron asking imagine they had got Buddy and Turner as they could of with AD and Lebron they could perhaps have won another title. 2. Lebron would have to take 30 mil left to open up the 14mil mid level exception instead of the 4.7mil or whatever they have.. Is that worth him doing? Name the player they can get and maybe I will agree with you? And even if Lebron took the vet minimum the team would have no cap space unless they let dfs walk which a player of his calibre would be hard to replace anyway.. 3. Kobe was absolutely trash in his final years and took the absolute maximum he could and handicapped the team for years at the very least LeBron is playing at a high level

[ReddOktober]

LeBron putting the team first as usual. Now his salary gives them no cap leverage like other players have recently done when signing new deals. It will take less than a month into the season when he starts demanding the front office to get better talent on team.

1. For years the FO has done nothing to get more talent even with AD and Lebron asking imagine they had got Buddy and Turner as they could have with AD and Lebron they could perhaps have won another title. 2. Lebron would have to take 30 mil left to open up the 14mil mid level exception instead of the 4.7mil or whatever they have.. Is that worth him doing? Name the player they can get and maybe I will agree with you? And even if Lebron took the vet minimum the team would have no cap space unless they let dfs walk which a player of his calibre would be hard to replace anyway.. 3. Kobe was absolutely trash in his final years and took the absolute maximum he could and handicapped the team for years at the very least LeBron is playing at a high level

You right bro. If you ask me he’s underpaid. with what he brings to the team in a business aspect is easily worth over a 100 million yearly. people just hate greatness and they type bs rage bait with their computers leaving cheeto dust on keyboard while criticizing a world class athlete

[nguyen925]

LeBron putting the team first as usual. Now his salary gives them no cap leverage like other players have recently done when signing new deals. It will take less than a month into the season when he starts demanding the front office to get better talent on team.

1. For years the FO has done nothing to get more talent even with AD and Lebron asking imagine they had got Buddy and Turner as they could of with AD and Lebron they could perhaps have won another title. 2. Lebron would have to take 30 mil left to open up the 14mil mid level exception instead of the 4.7mil or whatever they have.. Is that worth him doing? Name the player they can get and maybe I will agree with you? And even if Lebron took the vet minimum the team would have no cap space unless they let dfs walk which a player of his calibre would be hard to replace anyway.. 3. Kobe was absolutely trash in his final years and took the absolute maximum he could and handicapped the team for years at the very least LeBron is playing at a high level

Didn't the Lakers trade for Luka?

Jeanie can afford the second apron, she's also selling the majority stake of the team for 10 billion while allegedly maintaining directive control (until the rug gets pulled out).

I'm glad LBJ is taking as much as he is, one less reason to see the Lakers less competitive with less depth!

[Jondiggs]

LeBron putting the team first as usual. Now his salary gives them no cap leverage like other players have recently done when signing new deals. It will take less than a month into the season when he starts demanding the front office to get better talent on team.

1. For years the FO has done nothing to get more talent even with AD and Lebron asking imagine they had got Buddy and Turner as they could of with AD and Lebron they could perhaps have won another title. 2. Lebron would have to take 30 mil left to open up the 14mil mid level exception instead of the 4.7mil or whatever they have.. Is that worth him doing? Name the player they can get and maybe I will agree with you? And even if Lebron took the vet minimum the team would have no cap space unless they let dfs walk which a player of his calibre would be hard to replace anyway.. 3. Kobe was absolutely trash in his final years and took the absolute maximum he could and handicapped the team for years at the very least LeBron is playing at a high level

Here we go with that delusion that the front office didn’t do everything they could’ve given the fact that they traded their whole future away just to make LeBron happy. Forget about the AD trade. Forget about the Westbrook trade. It really blows my mind when I see dudes like this defending LeBron’s every move like he ain’t had direct influence as to why the lakers ain’t competing for nothing. But that don’t matter we just wanna see an old man play basketball with his bench warming g league son. I swear im in a twighlight zone lololol

[Alex_84]

Imagine work all of your life to be one of the best ones to ever played basketball, to rightfully earn as much as possible...only for some online randoms to sh*t on you for makoig your worth.

[druggas]

Trade him for a bag of chips.

[engelmartin]

Hopefully one final first round loss for this guy before he stops padding his stats