NBA Rumors: Lakers ready to meet any of LeBron James' demands in FA if he opts out of $52,627,153 contractÂ
LeBron James and the LA Lakers have a massive offseason coming up, with the four-time MVP's impending decision on his $52.6 million player option. Shams Charania reported on May 26 on the "Pat McAfee Show" that James will opt in.
The two prevailing theories are that James is possibly entering his final NBA season and the Lakers are motivated to offer him another two-year max deal with a no-trade clause.
However, insider Anthony Irwin reported on Thursday that LeBron James could still sign a two-year deal with a player option, and the theory of the Lakers not meeting his demands doesn't exist.
"Some of the people that I talked to with the Lakers, they were saying that, that's not how they have treated any core superstar, ever," Irwin said on Buha's Block.
"So indications are they would probably meet LeBron's demands, whatever they would be."
Irwin didn't reject the notion that James might opt in, but he's more open to the idea that the superstar forward might take the other route with his contract decision.
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After suiting up with Bronny James last year, LeBron could have a chance to play with or against his younger son, Bryce James, in 2026-27 if he signs a two-year deal with a player option. Bryce committed to Arizona for next year and is eligible for the 2026 draft.
LeBron James opting out bodes well for Lakers
LeBron James opting out of his player option could be beneficial for the Lakers. If they can convince him to take a slight pay cut, the Lakers might have more wiggle room in the trade and free agency landscape. It won't open a non-taxpayer midlevel exception for them if it's a haircut on a max deal, but it would allow the Lakers to explore their spending power for more depth.
The Lakers have multiple needs, including adding at least two centers, a couple of key bench pieces and more perimeter defense around the core of James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Any flexibility would be a boon for them. With Reaves already on a team-friendly contract next year and Doncic being the franchise centerpiece, they would need help from James to generate the space to operate.