LeBron James will play under a contract below his maximum eligibility for the first time in over ten years, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks. This move by James, who signed a two-year extension with the Los Angeles Lakers for $101.35 million, aims to help the team avoid future salary cap constraints. The deal, announced on Saturday, extends James’ career to 23 seasons, surpassing Vince Carter’s record of 22 years in the league, and is approximately $2.7 million less than the $104 million maximum, as reported by sources.The contract features a player option for the second season, allowing 39-year-old James to secure a de facto no-trade clause by fulfilling two consecutive seasons under one-year guarantees, leveraging his veteran status.
Rich Paul from Klutch Sports, representing James, informed ESPN last week that James would consider taking a salary reduction to help the Lakers secure a significant player in free agency, using the $12.9 million midlevel exception. However, this effort did not succeed, as sources told ESPN that neither Klay Thompson nor DeMar DeRozan were attracted to the Lakers with this exception or through trade offers. According to sources, Thompson was traded to the Dallas Mavericks, and DeRozan to the Sacramento Kings, as reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
James’ current salary reportedly allowed the Lakers to stay just below the second apron by $45,000, which prevents their 2032 first-round draft pick from being restricted in trade deals next summer due to exceeding the salary cap threshold. Rob Pelinka, the Lakers’ VP of basketball operations and general manager, highlighted the challenges of the league’s new collective bargaining agreement earlier in the week during the introduction of James’ son, Bronny, drafted 55th overall by the Lakers.
“We’re currently operating under salary cap constraints,” Pelinka explained. “Historically, championship-caliber teams have had to part ways with players due to these constraints. This environment makes trades more challenging, but not impossible. We remain committed to enhancing our roster despite these limitations.”
If the Lakers’ total payroll exceeds $190 million for the 2024-25 season, they would be restricted from acquiring more salary in trades than they send out, limiting their flexibility—a consequence of these financial regulations.
In 2010, LeBron James took a pay cut for the first time in his career, leaving $15 million on the table to join the Miami Heat on a two-year, $68.6 million deal. This sacrifice enabled the Heat’s front office to build a team that achieved four consecutive Finals appearances and secured two championships.
