LeBron James has a history of keeping his free agency decisions under wraps until July. In both 2010 and 2014, he began meeting with teams on July 1 and made his decisions later that month without any public indications of his plans. In 2018, he similarly kept silent, only releasing a statement on July 1 announcing his move to the Los Angeles Lakers. Now, for the first time since joining the Lakers, he has the option to become an unrestricted free agent, thanks to a $51.4 million player option in his contract.
True to form, James has not disclosed his intentions for the upcoming offseason. However, his agent, Rich Paul, CEO of Klutch Sports, hinted at James’ potential free agency during an appearance on the TNT alternate broadcast for Game 2 of the Western Conference finals. Paul referred to James as “a free agent,” which sparked speculation about his future.
Despite this intriguing comment, Paul stopped short of confirming that James would opt out of the final year of his contract with the Lakers. When pressed by Chris Haynes on the matter, Paul responded, “Chris, you know I don’t do my business over the air, man.” He further explained that James’ decision is still undecided, adding, “I don’t know what he’s going to do. We’re going to do what we do every year. We’re going to evaluate the situation, and we’re going to make the best decision.”
Rich Paul: “LeBron is a free agent.”
… but LeBron currently has a pending player option. Interesting slip up from his agent. 👀
(via @ChrisBHaynes) pic.twitter.com/5IrtdnP8C1
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 26, 2024
This situation presents a paradox. If James truly becomes a free agent, it implies he will decline the player option. Paul’s statement might have been a slip or, more likely, an indication that James is considering all possibilities, effectively treating himself as a free agent in anticipation of making a decision.
This means that James is weighing his options. Returning to the Lakers is one potential path, but exploring new teams is also on the table. However, Paul did mention in a Friday interview with Haynes that the Lakers’ priority should be more on Anthony Davis than LeBron at this juncture.
Davis is secured with the Lakers for four more seasons following his contract extension last offseason. James, on the other hand, can sign for a maximum of three more years. He could opt in and extend for two additional years, bringing his total contract value to roughly $164 million. Alternatively, he could opt out and sign a new three-year deal worth approximately $162 million, which would include the possibility of adding a no-trade clause.
James has until June 29 to decide on his player option, just three days after the 2024 NBA Draft, where his son Bronny is expected to be selected. James has previously expressed a desire to play alongside his son at the end of his career, although he has recently softened this stance.
Even though James might not technically be a free agent yet, he effectively operates as one. He has the power to exit his current contract, and while he cannot directly communicate with teams, it is well known that any of the 30 NBA teams would be eager to sign him. If James is interested in exploring new opportunities, he can do so independently before making a final decision on his player option. While the prevailing expectation is that he will stay with the Lakers, the presence of the player option means nothing is guaranteed.
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