LeBron James, Rich Paul Met With Lakers for Contract Talks

LeBron James and his representative Rich Paul reportedly met with Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka on Thursday, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

The Klutch Sports representative told ESPN that the conversation was “productive,” but both sides will continue talking about James’s future in Los Angeles.

Thursday marked the four-time NBA champion’s first day of eligibility to sign a contract extension with the Lakers. However, James isn’t expected to sign anything for a while, as he doesn’t have to decide on a contract extension until June 30, 2023.

If a deal is not made by the June deadline, then James will become a free agent. But, there isn’t any immediate pressure to get a contract extension figured out right away, especially on the first day in which he is eligible to do so.

If the 18-time All-Star doesn’t come to an agreement with the Lakers for an extension before the 2022–23 season begins, speculation about James’ future will continue to be a hot topic of conversation.

James has spent the last four seasons with the Lakers, helping them to a NBA title in 2020. Last season, he averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.3 steals per game.

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