LeBron James will have the ability to opt out of his contract and enter unrestricted free agency this offseason. Anthony Davis, who has won one title alongside the four-time NBA MVP in five seasons as teammates, weighed in on his potential to enter free agency. Speaking after the Los Angeles Lakers Game 5 loss to the Denver Nuggets, the nine-time All-Star stated:
We compliment each other. We’ve done something special together. Good thing about it is I’m going to be with him all summer so we’ll have a lot of conversations and things like that, but he knows how I feel about him.
He’s been in this game a long time, ending season 21, and he’s been in this position a couple times to make these types of decisions and if he asks my opinion, or whenever we talk about it, I’m obviously going to try to recruit him back.
Davis acknowledged that James will make the best decision for himself and his family. He noted that his co-star’s time in the league is limited, while adding that he believes the duo can win another title together. Both stars played at an elite level in the regular season and the postseason. They did not receive help from their supporting cast against Denver, however, combining to score over half the team’s points.
Los Angeles Lakers open to LeBron James extension, drafting Bronny
LeBron James’ status for the 2024-25 season remains up in the air. Shams Charania, Jovan Buha and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported that the Los Angeles Lakers are willing to appease to the four-time champion to ensure he retires with the franchise, writing:
The Lakers, team sources say, would be open to discussing any deal that involves James coming back — including even the maximum three-year, $164 million extension they can offer. Playing through a three-year deal would put him at 42 by the end of the contract.
What’s more, team sources say the Lakers are very open to the prospect of helping LeBron fulfill his dream of playing with his son Bronny by potentially drafting him. [h/t The Athletic]
While LeBron holds a player option for 2024-25, returning to Los Angeles remains the likeliest scenario for his 22nd season. The four-time NBA champion remained noncommittal about his future following the Game 5 loss, however, his relationship with Lakers owner Jeanie Buss is said to be stronger than ever.
James continued to play at an elite level in his age-39 season. He averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.5 blocks per game. The 20-time All-Star shot 54.0% from the field, 41.0% from three-point range and 75.0% from the free-throw line.
