With Contract deals all around the NBA world, some teams might be doing better than others. Saturday was a massive day for the Los Angeles Lakers. They extended a few contracts and increased the base pay for some. So, how’s it going?
Lakers Looking To Retain and Extend Player Contracts
They signed Luka Dončić to a three-year, $165 million deal, keeping the superstar guard in Los Angeles and paired with the legendary LeBron James – at least for now.
This adds to a growing list of good news for the Lakers after their offseason got off to a rough start. They missed out on free agent targets like center Brook Lopez, who signed with the rival Los Angeles Clippers, and lost Dorian Finney-Smith to another Western Conference rival, the rising Houston Rockets.
The Lakers have since had plenty of positives – signing three-point specialist Jake LaRavia, former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, and former No. 1 overall pick DeAndre Ayton. All thanks to Dončić’s significant role in the moves!
James also decided to opt into his $52.6 million option for next season, but with no extension beyond the 2025-2026 season, there is a belief that James’ time with the Lakers could be coming to an end.
The Lakers had a press conference to announce Dončić’s extension, and most of the Lakers’ roster was in attendance to watch. However, both James and his son, Bronny James, were noticeably absent from the event, raising speculation that James may want to leave Los Angeles.
Did LeBron James Congratulate Luka Dončić?
Per Marc Stein, James did FaceTime with Dončić on Saturday to congratulate him on his new deal.
In Stein’s words: “LeBron and son Bronny James were noticeably not in attendance at the news conference, but I’m told that LeBron FaceTimed Dončić on Saturday morning to congratulate him on the new deal,” Stein reported. “Austin Reaves, meanwhile, is currently away in Asia on a promotional sneaker tour for his Rigorer signature shoe.”
Obviously, with no sign of James or his son, many wondered if James had already begun to cut ties with the Lakers as he works his way out of Los Angeles, but his call with Dončić does seem to indicate otherwise.
Plus, during Saturday’s presser, Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka gave a very positive update regarding James and his future with the team.
“In terms of LeBron’s career, I think the number one thing we have to do there is respect he [sic] and his family’s decision in terms of how long he wants to play,” Pelinka said. “We want to respect his ability to come up with his timetable. I think that’s really important… if he had a chance to retire a Laker, that would be great.”
With the Lakers upgrading at several positions, perhaps most importantly at center, they clearly want to be a legitimate contender to challenge the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder out west.
With James and Dončić on the same page, that could be a realistic possibility.
