LeBron James Again Contracted LA Lakers IDR 1.69 Trillion For Two Years

LeBron James and Bronny James, father and son who will partner at the LA Lakers (photo: x @lakers)

JAKARTA - LeBron James has agreed on a two-year contract worth 104 million US dollars (Rp1.69 trillion) with Los Angeles Lakers, as reported by ESPN and The Athletic on Wednesday, July 10. This move only slightly increases his salary for the 2024-25 season by 51.4 million US dollars (Rp835.3 billion) in the form of player options.

However, James opted out of his contract last week, the day after the Lakers selected his eldest son, Bronny, with his 55th choice in NBA Draft 2024. Even before the potential of a father-son partner, all signs indicated James would play in his 22nd NBA season and his seventh season with Los Angeles.

#JamesGang pic.twitter.com/4hZDSupHJw

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) July 3, 2024

#JamesGang pic.twitter.com/4hZDSupHJw

The contract, which was completed on the fourth day of the free agent, includes a tradeless clause and player options for next season. The delay in formulating this deal was reportedly due to James' attempt to recruit other "impact" players, which did not seem successful.

ESPN reports that James wants to bring Klay Thompson or DeMar DeRozan to Los Angeles. Thompson reportedly has a contract worth US$20 million per season from the Lakers, but he chose to join Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic in Dallas Mavericks, the Western Region champion.

DeRozan, who is a native of Los Angeles and has played in Southern California, still hasn't signed a contract until Wednesday morning. Reports link it to Sacramento Kings, but after James signed a maximum contract, the Lakers had to give up a salary in a sign-and-trade deal with the Chicago Bulls to earn DeRozan.

Senior James, who will turn 40 in December, has repeatedly stated that he wants to play with his son before ending his career. He watched from behind the training facility when Bronny James and Dalton Knecht's first round option were officially introduced at a press conference on Tuesday, July 9.

LeBron James recorded an average of 25.7 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.3 rebounds in 71 matches in the 2023-24 season. James, who is the fourth league MVP, became the first player in history to surpass 40,000 career points last season. He is 20-time All-Star and has an average career of 27,1 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists in 1,492 regular-season games.