LeBron James is poised to become the first player in NBA history to pass $500MM in career salary, according to Bobby Marks and Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Insider link). As ESPN’s duo notes, James has made over $482MM in salary to date, so whether he picks up his $51.4MM player option for 2024/25 or signs a new contract, he’s on track to blow past that $500MM threshold.
Marks and McMenamin break down James’ contract options this summer, exploring his maximum salaries with the Lakers (via either opt-in and extension or a new free agent contract) or a new team. As they point out, LeBron won’t be able to sign a contract longer than three years due to the Over-38 rule, though that probably would’ve been an unlikely outcome for the 39-year-old anyway.
ESPN’s reporters also note that the Lakers would be able to offer James a no-trade clause if he turns down his player option and signs a new contract. A team can give a player a no-trade clause if he signs as a free agent after spending at least eight years in the NBA and four with his current team. Bradley Beal is the only other player in the league who has one.
Here’s more on James and the Lakers:
- Within that same ESPN+ story, Marks and McMenamin also explore the resources the Lakers will have at their disposal this offseason to pursue roster upgrades. The Pelicans will have a June 1 deadline to decide whether they want to acquire the Lakers’ 2024 first-round pick or their 2025 first-rounder. The Lakers would be able to trade the leftover pick as long as wait until after the ’24 pick is used to officially complete the deal.
- James exited the Lakers’ Wednesday loss to Sacramento early and had his left ankle examined, McMenamin writes in a separate ESPN story. A source tells McMenamin that it’s a “wear and tear” injury for LeBron, who said in a post-game media session that he’s been dealing with the injury since before the All-Star break, adding, “I’ll be all right.” James, who is listed as questionable to play on Friday vs. Milwaukee, will likely have to manage the injury the rest of the season, but it isn’t expected to result in any sort of extended absence, Adrian Wojnarowski said on ESPN’s NBA Today on Thursday (YouTube link).
- Although the Lakers have played better basketball in recent weeks, posting a 9-5 record since the start of February, their defense ranks 22nd during that stretch and continued to be an issue in Wednesday’s 130-120 loss to the Kings, writes Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group. “We just gotta get better from it,” head coach Darvin Ham said. “The cavalry ain’t coming. We got 18 (games) left. We did a lot of good things early on. We gotta be able to sustain that.”
- The loss to Sacramento was especially costly for the Lakers because it means they’ve lost the head-to-head tiebreaker to the Kings, as Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times observes. The No. 10 Lakers are currently three games back of the No. 7 Kings in the standings, but even if they make up those three games and finish with identical records, Sacramento would get the higher seed based on that tiebreaker.
Good thing he went for a huge slam at the meaningless All-star game and clearly came down even more hobbled. Dumb move.
Someone has to be held accountable for that loss to the Kings. That was disgusting.
In spite of the loss to the Kings, note:
Lakers 25 FTA
Kings 12 FTA
The fix continues.
Its a shame Refs only gave them 25 FTA instead of 40 like they need to because they are the Lakers
Maybe try watching a game. Lakers constantly drive to the basket and half the Kings, especially Huerter and Len foul like crazy. When the Kings drive, LeBron backs off and lets them have the easy basket (i.e. no defense).
So cry about fouls all you want.
Middle of the road in the league for drives to basket. Plenty other stats available to make the usual Hollywood treatment embarrassingly laughable far as preferable treatment goes too.
I watched the games and Lebron d cries every time he drives to the basket for a foul call. I missed so it must have been a foul. Hachimura is a foul machine and called for none. LeBron hacks people and never get called now that he is in LA but he used to foul out when a cavs player. AD pushes off for rebounds and never get falls called against him. Refs been told to call less fouls since all star break so they will not be going to the FT line as much rest of the year.
Check out lakers compared to second on the list for free throw discrepancy on the season. It’s absolutely laughable, nothing new.
Lakers are title contenders but ….
If they don’t get the calls or fix the games Rich Paul will get upset! The NBA is a joke, period! So is the rest of professional sports! It’s all about the gambling and the TV ratings
What if we just went back to the 80s and let the men call their own fouls? Put Laimbeer un charge of officiating. Designate one pkayer on each team as the ” Maurice Lucas position”. No fouls called on him during the game. If a foul is called on another player, offensive team takes the ball out.