While discussing LeBron James taking a two-year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, the subject of the Lakers superstar's future came up. It seems likely that James is taking things year-to-year with his contracts for the rest of his career.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst said that health will be the biggest determining factor in how long James plays for. However, the second-biggest factor is when the NBA plans to expand.
“The biggest thing, other than health, that we’re gonna see that is going to determine when the end of LeBron’s career is when the owners of the league set forth a timeline about when they’re gonna establish that expansion team in Las Vegas,” Windhorst said. “I suspect once the TV rights deals get wrapped up … they’re gonna bring expansion to the table.”
Windhorst then added, “(James) wants to partner with partners to become the face of the franchise in Las Vegas.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has repeatedly said that the league would turn towards expansion when the media rights deals are completed. Those deals seem like they'll be signed fairly soon. Silver has mentioned several cities have expressed interest in having NBA teams, prominently among them are Seattle and Las Vegas.
