“What kind of partnership is it when you sign a 1-year deal and hold a gun to my head?” - NBA analyst says LeBron James did the right thing by extending his contract with the Lakers
One of the biggest stories in the NBA currently is LeBron James extending his stay with the LA Lakers. Following a disappointing season that led to missing the playoffs, the All-Star forward agreed to a two-year, $97.1 million extension.
BREAKING: Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has agreed on a two-year, $97.1 million contract extension – including a player option for the 2024-2025 season, @KlutchSports CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN. James had been entering final year of deal worth $44.5M.
Overall, it has been an up-and-down ride for LeBron since joining the Lakers. While he led the team to a title in 2020, everything outside of that has fallen far short of expectations. Because of this, many fans were quick to share their thoughts on him agreeing to stay.
During a recent radio interview, former NBA player and coach Sam Mitchell weighed in on the Lakers extending their star. He feels LeBron did the right thing by taking the deal, but sent a message in the process.
"Don't get me wrong, he deserves it, because he's still playing at a high level... What kind of partnership is it when you sign a one-year deal and hold a gun to my head and say we're friends?"
"He sent a message to the Lakers, to the fans, and to potenital free agents and guys in possible trades, that I'm gonna be here."
"He sent the message...I'm going to be here."
Hear @SamMitchellNBA tell @talkhoops why this was an easy decision for LeBron to sign an extension with the Lakers.
#LakeShow https://t.co/2iJaofT1aN
Did LeBron James make the right move by signing an extension with the Lakers?
At the end of the day, it's hard to argue that LeBron did the wrong thing by taking this extension. Along with securing a big payday, he still has flexibility down the road. While he agreed to a two-year deal, the second season is a player option.
Like Sam Mitchell mentioned, the relationship between team and player is far from perfect at this point. By returning to short-term deals, he is putting the team on notice. If they cannot get things back on track, he will take his talents elsewhere. We saw the four-time MVP use a similar tactic in Cleveland to incentivize the front office on keeping the roster competitive.
Looking ahead, this season might be the Lakers' final chance to sway LeBron into staying in LA. The potential to have a good team is there, but certain things need to be fixed. Most notably, the stars around him.
When Anthony Davis is healthy, the Lakers have one of the league's most unstoppable duos. However, the All-Star big man has struggled to consistently be in the lineup the past two years. On top of that, taking a chance on Russell Westbrook did not pan out in LA's favor.
Between wanting to contend for titles and possibly play alongside his oldest son, LA could be on the brink of losing one of the game's greatest players.