Thursday, Aug. 4, was the first day LeBron James was eligible to sign a contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The 2022-23 season will be the final one of his current contract, and many have been wondering if he may leave the Lakers at its conclusion.
After all, the Lakers as presently constituted don’t look like championship contenders.
But lately, the prospects of James staying with the Purple and Gold have been looking better and better.
Brian Windhorst, the ESPN reporter who has followed him since his high school days, has felt that he won’t leave Los Angeles.
On Thursday, James reportedly met with Lakers management and had a “productive” discussion.
LeBron James and his representative Rich Paul of Klutch Sports met with Lakers VP of basketball ops and GM Rob Pelinka on Thursday regarding James’ eligible contract extension. Paul told ESPN the discussion was “productive” and both sides will continue a dialogue.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) August 4, 2022
The four-time champ can sign a two-year deal worth $97.1 million. The thinking around the NBA is that James will ultimately sign such a deal with the second year being a player option.