LeBron James Rumors | Hoops Rumors

LeBron James Becomes Extension-Eligible

August 4th, 2022 at 8:08am CST by Luke Adams

Superstar forward LeBron James is now officially eligible to sign a veteran contract extension with the Lakers.

James last signed an extension with the Lakers on December 3, 2020, adding two years to the one remaining on his deal at the time. That contract will expire at the end of the 2022/23 season.

Typically, a player who signs an extension that keeps him under contract for three or four seasons (when accounting for both his current contract and his extension) becomes extension-eligible again two years after his signing date. However, James’ eligibility window opens on August 4 instead of December 3 due to the unusual nature of the 2020 calendar, which was affected by COVID-19 — since free agency didn’t open until November that year, the NBA considers August 4, 2022 this offseason’s equivalent of December 3, 2020.

James is earning $44,474,988 in 2022/23, which exceeds the standard maximum of $43,279,250 for a player with 10-plus years of NBA experience. That means he’s eligible to sign an extension that either gives him a 5% raise over this season’s salary or is worth next season’s maximum, whichever is higher. Currently, next season’s max projects to be $46,550,000, whereas a 5% raise would put LeBron in line for a $46,698,737 starting salary.

Because he’s already 37 years old, James’ ability to sign a long-term extension is impacted by the Over-38 rule, which we explain in detail in our glossary entry. It prevents him from playing on contract longer than three years (including his current deal), which limits the length of a potential extension to two years. Assuming a $46,698,737 starting salary, LeBron’s maximum two-year extension would be worth $97,133,373 — the second year (2024/25) could be a player option.

Although James is now extension-eligible, there’s likely no urgency from his perspective to get a deal done right away. He has until June 30, 2023 to sign an extension, and would be able to sign a similar contract with the Lakers if he opts for free agency next year (in that scenario, he could even add a third year for 2025/26, since the ’22/23 season would no longer count toward the three-year limit created by the Over-38 rule).

While the Lakers would certainly prefer to lock in LeBron to a new deal sooner rather than later, the four-time MVP can retain leverage and perhaps wield more influence on the team’s roster moves by holding off on that commitment. Taking that route would also give James a chance to assess the team’s roster additions as well as new head coach Darvin Ham during the 2022/23 season.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link) writes, the Lakers’ potential 2023 cap room won’t be affected in any real way by whether or not James signs an extension, since his free agent cap hold would be essentially equivalent to his starting salary on a new deal. In either scenario, Los Angeles projects to have over $20MM in room, which would open up some options for the team but wouldn’t be enough for another maximum-salary player.

Of course, if the Lakers lose James, they’d open up significantly more cap space next summer, but that’s not what the team wants, and there has been no indication that James is looking to leave L.A. — one recent report indicated that LeBron is happy in Southern California and that his family has become “increasingly entrenched” there in recent years.

Still, rumors figure to swirl around the four-time champion and the Lakers as long as he remains unsigned beyond the 2022/23 season. There has been speculation, for instance, about the possibility of another reunion between James and the Cavaliers if he reaches free agency next summer.

According to Marks, if James does sign a two-year, $97MM+ extension with the Lakers, it would increase his career salary earnings to $532MM, which would be the most ever for an NBA player.

Pacific Notes: LeBron, Irving, R. Jackson, Kings

August 3rd, 2022 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

With LeBron James eligible to sign an extension starting Thursday, Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register looks at the factors that will go into James’ decision on whether to extend his commitment to the Lakers.

L.A. can sign James to a two-year, $97.1MM extension that would run past his 40th birthday or he can opt for a one-year deal worth $46.7MM. James could also decide to accept less, but Goon doesn’t believe the Lakers are in position to make a significant roster upgrade with any savings that he might provide.

Money will obviously factor into the decision, but James also wants to be part of a title contender, which L.A. may not be able to offer right away. Goon notes that the team could have around $20MM in cap space next summer, which is enough to add a contributor but not nearly enough for another max player.

Family will also affect James’ thought process, as he has children in school and seems committed to the L.A. area. He has expressed a desire to play alongside his son, Bronny, who will be a high school senior this year, which could put pressure on the Lakers to draft him in 2024 if LeBron agrees to a two-year extension.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

The Lakers remain Kyrie Irving‘s “top destination” if and when he leaves the Nets, whether it’s through a trade or free agency next summer, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Buha adds that the league-wide lack of interest in trading for Irving indicates that L.A. might be his only option as a free agent.
Echoing comments he made in March, Clippers guard Reggie Jackson told youths at Paul George‘s basketball camp that he considering retirement during his time with the Pistons, per Tomer Azarly of Clutch Points (video link). “It really started making me question myself (late in his Detroit tenure),” Jackson said. “… Don’t let anybody ever do this to you in life, take the fun out of the things that you love to do. I really was gonna retire. My lifeline, my brother here saved me.”
James Ham of The Kings Beat examines the Kings‘ new-look roster to see if they’ve upgraded enough to break their long playoff drought.

Cavs Rumors: Sexton, Luxury Tax, Osman, LeBron

August 3rd, 2022 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers have “a lot of confidence” that restricted free agent Collin Sexton will be back with the team next season, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com told Jake Fischer during the latest episode of Fischer’s Please Don’t Aggregate This podcast.

As Fedor explains, there has been no indication that the Cavs are seriously exploring any sign-and-trade scenarios or that a suitor with cap room will make an aggressive play for Sexton, so it may just be a waiting game to see what kind of contract the former lottery pick ends up on.

As Fedor explains, when Sexton and the Cavs discussed an extension a year ago, they were exploring a Bogdan Bogdanovic-type contract — approximately $72MM over four years. However, after Sexton missed nearly all of 2021/22 due to a torn meniscus, the Cavs would like to get him back on a deal in the range of $12-14MM per year. Fedor has previously reported that the team put a three-year, $40MM offer on the table.

Given that agent Rich Paul is a tough negotiator and won’t want to accept a long-term deal that he believes is below market value, Fedor still believes the most likely scenario is that Sexton accepts his $7.2MM qualifying offer, which would allow him to reach unrestricted free agency next summer. However, both Fischer and Fedor believe that there’s a case to be made for Sexton accepting that three-year offer, since it would give him some financial security and would still put him on track to enter unrestricted free agency at age 26.

Here’s more on the Cavs:

It’s “very important” to the Cavs that they don’t go into luxury tax territory this season, per Fedor. “I had it put to me that it’s not happening, that they’re not willing to go into the luxury tax” Fedor said. Currently, the team has about $13MM in breathing room below the tax line, though if Sexton accepts the club’s current offer, that cushion would all but disappear. That proximity to the tax is one reason why Cleveland isn’t willing to go higher for Sexton at this point.
If Sexton re-signs with the Cavs, the team will need to trade or release a player on a standard contract before the regular season begins. Cedi Osman could be a trade candidate in that scenario, according to Fedor, who notes that the forward fell out of favor with head coach J.B. Bickerstaff near the end of last season. However, Fedor adds that the Cavs still value Osman and wouldn’t simply want to dump his salary. According to Fischer, the Timberwolves and Celtics are among the teams believed to have checked in on Osman in the past.
Noting that LeBron James will be a free agent next summer if he doesn’t sign an extension with the Lakers before then, Fedor and Fischer both suggest the Cavaliers wouldn’t close the door on the idea of another reunion with the star forward, as long as it’s on their terms. “Of course Cleveland would be open to a LeBron return, but it does seem like the Cavaliers made it very clear…that (they) would really only be open to that on a deal or in a situation that made sense for everyone,” Fischer said. “They would be adding LeBron as a piece into this rebuild, not handing over the keys to the franchise like they had done in the past.”
Fedor explored the LeBron speculation in more depth at Cleveland.com, writing that the Cavs “aren’t currently plotting a third go-around” with the former Finals MVP, but won’t rule it out either.

Lakers Notes: Westbrook, Closing Lineup, Nunn, LeBron

August 3rd, 2022 at 1:51pm CST by Luke Adams

While former Lakers head coach Frank Vogel benched Russell Westbrook late in games a small handful of times last season, new coach Darvin Ham will have more power to do so this season, assuming Westbrook remains on the roster and Ham decides there are better fits in crunch time, says Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

Buha expects Westbrook to get opportunities to close out games, but notes that it will depend on his shooting, decision-making, and defense.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis are, of course, locks to be part of the Lakers’ “closing” five, and Buha views Austin Reaves as the next-best bet to join that group because he can be a secondary ball-handler. Buha predicts that Juan Toscano-Anderson and Troy Brown will fill out the closing five in instances when Westbrook is on the bench.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Although Kendrick Nunn recently said he feels 100% healthy after missing the entire 2021/22 season due to a knee injury, he has yet to resume playing five-on-five, which will be the “next big hurdle” in his recovery process, Buha writes. The expectation for now is that Nunn will be ready to go for training camp.
Buha believes that the Lakers are done adding veteran free agents this offseason, and that any additional roster changes would come via trade. He notes that the team could also be active on the buyout market after the 2023 trade deadline.
LeBron James will become eligible on Thursday to sign a contract extension with the Lakers, but Chris Mannix of SI.com doesn’t believe James will be in any rush to sign that deal, since he can maintain leverage and keep pressure on the team by taking his time. He could sign that extension at any time up until June 30, 2023.

Pacific Notes: James, Anthony, Howard, Crowder

August 2nd, 2022 at 10:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bronny James will be eligible for the draft in 2024, and LeBron James‘ desire to play with his son could affect his decision regarding an extension, as Joe Vardon of The Athletic explains. James, who could be an unrestricted free agent after next season, can sign a two-year, $98MM extension with the Lakers this offseason.

The easiest way for LeBron and Bronny to play together is for LeBron to be a member of the team that drafts Bronny. The Lakers will likely have to commit to doing what it takes to draft his son in order for an extension to be reached. Vardon, noting that L.A. doesn’t currently control its 2024 first-round pick, suggests that the team may have to consider a trade bringing in a ’24 first-rounder, even though Bronny doesn’t currently project as a first-round prospect.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Many veteran players who saw action for the Lakers last season are still unsigned. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin takes a look at those players, including Carmelo Anthony, Avery Bradley and Dwight Howard, and explores which teams might have an interest in them.
A tweet from the Suns’ Jae Crowder created a stir, Jeremy Cluff of the Arizona Republic notes. Crowder wrote “Change is inevitable.. Growth is optional.!! I believe its time for a change… I wanna continue growing!” That fueled speculation that he wants to be traded. Crowder is entering his walk year and has been the subject of trade rumors, particularly involving one of his former teams, the Heat. The Suns are above the tax line and might look to shed some salary.
In case you missed it, Steve Kerr and Draymond Green played instrumental roles in convincing JaMychal Green to sign with the Warriors. Get the details here.

Lakers Notes: LeBron, First-Round Picks, Westbrook

July 29th, 2022 at 3:02pm CST by Luke Adams

LeBron James will become eligible next Thursday to sign a contract extension with the Lakers that could be worth up to a projected $97.1MM over two years, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack article. If James doesn’t agree to an extension with Los Angeles, he would remain on track to reach free agency in 2023.

According to Stein, sources briefed on the matter say that James is happy in L.A. and suggest that his family has become “increasingly entrenched” in Southern California in recent years. Stein adds that the belief in league circles is that LeBron is unlikely to seriously consider leaving the Lakers unless he has the opportunity to play with his son Bronny James elsewhere beginning in 2024.

Once James becomes extension-eligible next week, he and the Lakers won’t be facing any sort of deadline in the near future — he’d remain extension-eligible all the way up until June 30, 2023, and could agree to a new one- or two-year contract at any time before then to avoid free agency. So if the two sides don’t strike a deal immediately, it shouldn’t necessarily be a cause for concern.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Within the same Substack story, Stein writes that seemingly no potential trade partners want to make a deal with the Lakers unless they can get both of L.A.’s tradable first-round picks (2027 and 2029). Based on reporting to date, Stein’s claim presumably applies to at least the Nets with Kyrie Irving and the Pacers with Buddy Hield and Myles Turner. According to Stein, the Lakers have thus far only shown a willingness to move one of those two first-rounders in any deal — and they’ll likely look to add at least some protections to any pick they move.
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report spoke to a handful of league insiders about what the Lakers should do with Russell Westbrook and received a wide range of opinions. Those sources were split on how aggressive the team should be in trying to make a preseason trade and how many picks they’d attach to Westbrook. As Pincus writes, some of his sources think L.A. should let Westbrook stay away from the team if he’s still a Laker this fall, while others believe he can still salvage some on-court value for his current club.
In case you missed it, there are five Lakers players who can’t be traded until at least December 15. We shared that full list earlier today.

LeBron, Westbrook, AD Vow To Stay On Same Page

July 18th, 2022 at 5:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Lakers stars LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis renewed their commitment to one another and their goal to win a championship together in a phone conversation during the first weekend of the Las Vegas Summer League, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reports.

The conversation was organized to make sure all three were on the same page as long as they’re still wearing the Lakers uniform. Eyebrows were raised when James and Westbrook seemingly ignored each other during the Laker’s first Summer League contest.

Westbrook, who opted in for final year of his contract at a $47MM pricetag, has never requested a trade from the Lakers, according to Haynes’ sources.

Westbrook’s name has remained in the rumor mill this summer, particular as a potential trade piece for Nets guard Kyrie Irving. The trade chatter has seemingly intensified since Westbrook and his longtime agent parted ways last week.

Lakers Rumors: Irving, Trade Targets, Westbrook

July 18th, 2022 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

It remains to be seen whether or not the Lakers will be able to work out a trade with the Nets for Kyrie Irving, but Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN believes L.A. has at least one more major roster move up its sleeve this offseason, as he stated on Monday during the network’s latest episode of Get Up (video link).

“I think the Lakers will make a deal. Maybe more than one deal,” Wojnarowski said. “It may not be for Kyrie Irving, it may not be for an All-NBA player, an All-Star. But players like Eric Gordon in Houston, Buddy Hield in Indiana, players like Patrick Beverley, who came to the Jazz in a trade from Minnesota, who are role players are winning teams. What is the price for those kind of moves? I think they’re going to continue to be active on all those things.”

As Wojnarowski explains, the Lakers aren’t eager to part with all of their most valuable trade assets for modest short-term upgrades, but they still feel the need to add more talent to the roster to take advantage of LeBron James‘ remaining prime years.

“When LeBron’s putting pressure on the front office, on the organization, teams are asking for a lot to do a deal with the Lakers,” Wojnarowski said. “Rob Pelinka‘s trying to keep from trading the 2027, 2029 unprotected first-round picks that obviously LeBron James doesn’t value greatly because he may not be around. He wants to win now. That’s the balance of being in the front office vs. having to serve the fact that you’ve got LeBron James still playing at an incredibly high level at an age we’ve never seen a player play at that level.”

Here’s more on the Lakers:

A potential trade sending Irving to the Lakers is “not completely dead,” per Wojnarowski, but such a deal still hinges in large part on what the Nets do with Kevin Durant. “The Nets are more focused on trying to find a deal for KD before they would even move Kyrie Irving,” Woj said. “I think there’s a good chance that Kyrie Irving is back in Brooklyn to start the season if Kevin Durant is back in Brooklyn.”
Russell Westbrook‘s public split with his longtime agent doesn’t bode well for the former MVP’s relationship with the Lakers, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, who says that dynamic between Westbrook and the team is becoming “more untenable with each passing week.” League sources tell Buha that the divorce between Westbrook and agent Thad Foucher caught several people around the Lakers by surprise.
Foucher’s statement, which hinted that Westbrook is seeking another change of scenery, may further hurt the Lakers’ leverage in trade talks, Buha writes. Multiple league sources tell The Athletic that potential trade partners are already asking for at least L.A.’s 2027 or 2029 first-round pick in order to take on Westbrook’s pricey expiring contract.
Marc Stein says in his latest Substack article that the Knicks and Jazz are viewed by some people around the league as possible landing spots for Westbrook if the two teams complete a Donovan Mitchell trade. Stein explains that the Knicks may be more inclined to trade away Julius Randle and his long-term contract for a big expiring deal like Westbrook’s in that scenario, though it strikes me as a long shot that New York and L.A. would be able to find a mutually beneficial swap involving those two players.

LeBron James Declares Himself “100 Percent Healthy” At Drew League

July 17th, 2022 at 8:55am CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James got a hero’s welcome at the Drew League on Saturday, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN, but Lakers fans will be more interested in what he said than what he did on the court.

“I’m 100 percent healthy,” James told ESPN in an interview during his game.

It was James’ first time playing in public since the start of April. He missed 26 games this season, including seven of the Lakers’ last eight regular season contests with a sprained left ankle, as the team dropped into 11th place in the West and failed to qualify for the play-in tournament.

James showed no lingering effects from the ankle injury as he thrilled an overflow crowd at the Drew League, a Los Angeles tradition in pro-am basketball for nearly 50 years. He had 42 points, 16 rebounds, four steals and three assists as his team rallied to win a close game. James played alongside another NBA star, DeMar DeRozan, who posted 30 points and 14 rebounds.

Kyrie Irving was also rumored as a possible Drew League participant, but he spent the day at a girls basketball skills camp run by Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy.

James’ presence caused fans to start lining up around 7:00 am Pacific Time, even though his game didn’t start until 1:45 pm, according to Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. The standing-room-only crowd reacted to everything he did, gasping when he missed his first shot and cheering loudly when he followed that by sinking a three-pointer.

“The day was crazy. A guy everybody wanted to come watch, it was already packed early in the morning,” said former NBA player Casper Ware Jr. “I [was] trying to find a way to get people in, my close friends and all this and a lot of them couldn’t even get in. He just brought that type of atmosphere where there’s no room on the baseline to stand or anywhere. It’s just the energy he brings everywhere he goes.”

Lakers Notes: Reaves, Pippen Jr., Buss, Impatience

July 15th, 2022 at 10:56pm CST by Rory Maher

Lakers guard Austin Reaves earned a spot on the 15-man roster prior to training camp and became a rotation regular as a rookie, accomplishing two of his goals last season. However, the team fell woefully short of his third goal, which was winning a championship.

“Individually, I think it went about as good as it could have gone for me,” Reaves told Jovan Buha of The Athletic. “Doing all those things was special. And as a team, I mean, to say the least, it sucked, to be honest. We had high expectations for ourselves and felt like we just couldn’t piece it together throughout the year.

“For me, the main goal is always to win, so it sucked in that aspect.”

After going undrafted out of Oklahoma, Reaves signed a two-way contract with the Lakers and was later promoted to a standard deal, although his salary for 2022/23 is non-guaranteed. As Buha details, Reaves has been diligent in his offseason approach, focused on improving his outside shot and getting stronger to avoid a second-year slump — he has bulked up to 209 pounds with weight training, up from 197 last season.

“It’s my big focus,” Reaves said. “I go in there with a good attitude every day, and whatever they tell me to do, I do. Just putting my body in the best position so the rookie wall or whatever, it doesn’t hit you like that. And you can more push through it because you’re in better shape and better conditioning.”

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Undrafted rookie Scotty Pippen Jr., son of Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, is trying to forge his own path in the league, writes Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group. The younger Pippen was signed to a two-way deal after the draft and his father recently came to watch him play in Summer League. “I think just having my dad supporting me is kinda just like a full-circle moment, I think especially for him seeing his son make it,” he said. “But I think it’s a dream come true. I’ve dreamt of this moment.”
In a lengthy Q&A with Mark Medina of NBA.com, Lakers owner Jeanie Buss was asked whether she expected a major deal to happen this offseason, to which she replied, “Nothing would surprise me. We’re not making change for the sake of change. It has to be good, basketball decisions that help us now and doesn’t compromise our ability to deal in the future.
On ESPN’s First Take on Friday (video link), Brian Windhorst interpreted Buss’ quote as meaning she might not have faith in the current roster, with the key aspect being the last line about not compromising the team’s ability to make future moves. As currently constructed, in an optimistic scenario, Windhorst thinks the team might win 45 games in ’22/23 and make the play-in tournament.
With LeBron James eligible for an extension at the beginning of next month, a rival executive thinks the Lakers are getting antsy to secure his long-term commitment to the franchise, according to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com. “They’re eager to do something,” the Western Conference executive said. “The team they have is just not good enough right now. Everyone there wants to see a resolution to the (Russell) Westbrook situation. They want to see about Kyrie (Irving). They want to get what they can from Indiana once they start selling off pieces, whether it is Buddy Hield or Myles Turner or both. So there is some major impatience, and they are looking at LeBron maybe getting an extension next month and they want to have everything in place. Well, nothing’s in place yet.”
In case you missed it, Westbrook parted ways with his longtime agent earlier today.