Lakers’ LeBron James get new $52.6 million contract prediction after Kevin Durant trade | Sporting News
On Sunday, the main topic of discussion was Kevin Durant’s second blockbuster trade of his career.
The Houston Rockets acquired Durant from the Phoenix Suns, allowing them to enter win-now mode under Ime Udoka.
After Houston improved its odds of representing the Western Conference in the 2026 NBA Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers’ 22-year veteran, LeBron James, received a new $52.6 million contract prediction.
\”The presence of Luka Doncic reorients the Los Angeles Lakers’ timeline and affords them leverage—if they want to exercise it—against LeBron James,” Bleacher Report\’s Grant Hughes wrote Sunday.
\”That’s not to say Los Angeles should put up an aggressive front as James contemplates what kind of deal he’d like to sign upon declining his player option for 2025-26. But the Lakers are suddenly able to have some say in the matter.”
\”James could pick up his $52.6 million option and end the discussion. That’s actually the plan, according to what ESPN’s Shams Charania reported in May. Opting out and signing elsewhere is basically impossible because nobody has the money to pay him, unless James wants to take a minimum deal.”
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\”The Lakers are certainly better with James, who made his 21st All-NBA team last year. But they don’t need to treat him like the franchise centerpiece anymore. It’ll be fascinating to see if there’s any pushback by the team if James has big demands.”
As disappointing as the Lakers were to end the 2024-25 campaign (they lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a five-game first-round series), James has no incentive to leave the Lakers after seven seasons.
James’ partnership with Doncic, his new teammate, has potential, and the Lakers are a versatile center away from instilling fear into the rest of the league.
James averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds per game this year, shooting 51.3% from the field and 37.6% from beyond the arc.
The four-time NBA champion\’s postseason stats were similar. James recorded 25.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per contest, connecting on 48.9% from the field and 35.7% from three-point land.
If James does opt out of his player option this summer, fans should expect him to sign a team-friendly deal with the Lakers instead of looking for a new home at age 40.