James holds a $51.4 million player option for next season, per Spotrac. That’s an incredible amount of anyone, let alone someone in his age-40 campaign.
And yet, he is no lock to pick it up. In fact, he could probably do better if he declines it and signs a new deal, whether that’s in L.A. or elsewhere. The Lakers are reportedly open to discussing a three-year, $164 million max extension, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Jovan Buha and Sam Amick.
Obviously, the Lakers want him to stick around, as they absolutely should. The calendar says he’s getting older, but the stat sheet still can’t find any evidence of aging. This past season, his 21st in the league, he shot a career-high 41 percent from deep, posted his fifth-highest field-goal percentage (54) and was one of nine players with top-20 averages in points (25.7, 16th) and assists (8.3, sixth).
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