<p>-
- Lakers star LeBron James exercises $52.6M option, returns to Los Angeles</p>
<p>Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY June 30, 2025 at 1:38 AM</p>
<p>Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is exercising his player option for the 2025-26 season and will not become a free agent this summer, his agent Rich Paul told ESPN on Sunday, June 29.</p>
<p>James is due to earn $52.6 million next season and has a no-trade clause in his contract.</p>
<p>"LeBron wants to compete for a championship," Paul told ESPN. "He knows the Lakers are building for the future."</p>
<p>In his 22nd season and at 40 years old in 2024-25, James averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds and shot 51.3% from the field, 37.6% on 3-pointers and 78.2% on free throws. He made the All-NBA team for a league-record 21st consecutive time.</p>
<p>James could have opted out of the final year of his two-year, $101.3 million contract, entered free agency and signed a three-year, $175.3 million deal or a two-year deal with the Lakers.</p>
<p>He is nearing retirement and has not indicated how many more seasons he has left. He recently said, "I can't play that much further."</p>
<p>The Lakers acquired star Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks at the 2025 trade deadline and want to make a push for a title with James and Doncic on the roster for an entire season.</p>
<p>This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LeBron James contract: Lakers star exercises $52.6 million option</p>
Source: AOL Sports
Source: AsherMag
Full Article on Source: Astro Blog
#LALifestyle #USCelebrities