Latest news with #AnthonyIrwin
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Insider: LeBron James may opt out of current contract
By June 29, LeBron James needs to decide whether to opt into the final year of his current contract with the Los Angeles Lakers or opt out, presumably to sign a new, slightly longer deal. Shams Charania of ESPN recently reported that James is expected to simply play out that final year of his current deal, which would pay him $52.6 million next season. However, nothing is a foregone conclusion with him until it is official. Advertisement According to Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints, there seems to be a realistic chance that the 40-year-old will opt out and sign a new two-year contract. Via ClutchPoints: "Most echo Charania's reporting that James intends to opt in, but some sources close to the Lakers say they anticipate James opting out and signing another two-year deal worth near the max with a player option for the second season and another full no-trade clause," Irwin wrote. If James signs a new contract, the Lakers would have a certain level of salary cap flexibility, depending on the amount of money in that contract. "If the Lakers approached James and explained how taking slightly less would give them some necessary wiggle room under whichever apron, sources indicated that conversation would likely be productive, as they were just a year ago. "... To be absolutely clear, taking as close to his max as he wants would be completely within James' rights that he's earned over two decades in the NBA and in his Lakers tenure, and helping even a little bit would be a sign of good faith. It just also needs to be mentioned that this potential avenue to cap flexibility would be off the table. "... In order to get the Lakers under the luxury tax line so they have access to their full non-taxpayer mid-level exception, James would have to take a discount of well over $10 million. As things currently stand, sources do indicate this is pretty unlikely. Technically, it isn't impossible, but the Lakers would be unwise to plan for this without crystal clear messaging from James and his camp. "In order to convince him to take such a cut, the Lakers would have to do their homework ahead of time and show him who this discount would help them get. "... Let's say James splits the difference and takes something like $7 million less next season. This would give the Lakers more room under the first apron, which would help them take back more in a trade than they send out. If you're hoping for a discount, this is probably the most practical thing to hope for." If James is serious about winning another NBA championship, which would be his fifth, the best path for him to take would be to take enough of a discount to give the Lakers the ability to use the full mid-level exception, which is expected to be worth $14.1 million. Otherwise, they would have the taxpayer mid-level exception of roughly $5.7 million. Advertisement Last summer, James was reportedly willing to take enough of a discount to open up access to the full mid-level exception for L.A. But after no free agent was willing to sign for that amount of money, he agreed to a larger amount of money — $48.7 million, to be exact, for the 2024-25 season. This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Insider: LeBron James may opt out of current contract
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
LeBron James drops cryptic social media post about retirement rumors
This is the third straight offseason during which people have wondered if LeBron James is going to retire from the NBA. Most expect him to be back with the Los Angeles Lakers next season, but one can never really be sure what he has planned, and he often tends to keep his cards close to his chest, so to speak. On Saturday, he made a cryptic post on his X (formerly known as Twitter) account. The post features a video in which he is asked by a reporter if rumors of his retirement are true before it abruptly cuts out. Above the video is a caption that reads, "I've been asking myself the same question…" The superstar does have a history of making people wonder for a period of time what could come next for him. Two years ago, right after the Lakers were swept in the Western Conference Finals, he implied that he was considering retirement by saying he had a lot to think about moving forward when it came to basketball. Advertisement Many figured it was perhaps a ploy to draw some attention and sympathy toward himself, and sure enough, he returned for two more seasons — at least. James has a $52.6 million player option for next season that he can either play on or decline. Insider Anthony Irwin reported that even though James will most likely opt into that option, there is a real chance he will opt out and sign a new two-way deal. This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: LeBron James drops cryptic social media post about retirement rumors
