Lakers News: Here's How Far LA Is Willing To Go To Keep LeBron James

Does Jeanie Buss really want to keep LeBron James into his 40s?

Apr 27, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) shoots / Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Lakers All-NBA combo forward LeBron James can opt in to the final year of his current deal with the club on June 29, worth $51.4 million. While he's at least contemplating retirement, it seems more likely he's going to stick around a bit longer.

The 20-time All-Star may not be the unquestionable best player in the world at present, but the 6-foot-9 great remains a tough cover. He averaged 25.7 points on a .540/.410/.750 slash line, along with 8.3 dimes, 7.3 boards, 1.3 swipes and 0.5 rejections across 71 regular season games, and turn in an impressive two-way turn in the Lakers' five-game first round playoff loss to the Denver Nuggets this spring.

According to Shams Charania, Jovan Buha and Sam Amick of The Athletic, James plans to play for two more seasons. He would set an all-time NBA record for seasons played by suiting up for his 23rd season (Vince Carter currently holds the record, with 22). He'd be turning 41 at that point.

In a new episode of ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show," Charania explained just how far Lakers owner Jeanie Buss is willing to go to retain James, who won a title with the club in just his second season with L.A.

"The Lakers are all in on bringing LeBron James back & they'll have to figure out how long he wants to play exactly..

The Lakers very much have interest in drafting Bronny James" ~ @ShamsCharania #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/C9B98p1YFR

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 30, 2024

"I'm told LeBron James expects to play up to two [more] NBA seasons, and that would take him up to... 23 seasons in the NBA," Charania reiterated. "From what I'm told and from what we reported yesterday in this piece in The Athletic, the Lakers [and owner] Jeanie Buss, they'll go as far as offering him a three-year, $164 million maximum contract if that's what it takes to keep LeBron James. If he wants to come back on a one-year max, two-year max, three-year max, the Lakers are all-in."

Brian Windhorst of ESPN today unpacked exactly how much that maximum extension would be worth — and how similar it would be to what James could earn on the open market with another team as a free agent.

Per Windhorst, James can make the absolute most by opting into his current deal and inking an extension: $164.3 million. Should he opt out of his deal but ultimately stay a Laker, he'd earn $162 million. If he departed the team and went elsewhere, he could, at max, earn $157.5 million.

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