With a savvy two-year deal, LeBron secures that the Lakers’ future will be on his termshttps://t.co/jMScyyudGf
— The Ringer (@ringer) December 3, 2020
As calculated as he is talented, the Lakers star remains a step ahead with a savvy two-year deal that takes him through his 20th NBA season and secures that the team’s future will be on his terms.
Seven years after negotiating a rich new contract extension as the agent for a 35-year-old Kobe Bryant, Rob Pelinka—now the vice president of basketball operations for the Lakers—made arrangements to reward another 35-year-old legend, this time from the other side of the table.
The beneficiary is LeBron James, who on Wednesday agreed to a two-year, $85 million extension that will commit him to the Lakers through 2023 and his 20th NBA season. James wasn’t a free agent this offseason, but his long-term retention bolsters what was already a more-than-compelling title defense.
Just last month, the Lakers poached Sixth Man of the Year winner Montrezl Harrell away from the neighboring Clippers, traded for Dennis Schröder, added Marc Gasol and Wesley Matthews, and re-signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Soon they’ll strike a deal with Anthony Davis—who shares an agent with LeBron—on the terms of a new contract for the length of his choosing, an agreement conceived in the era of empowerment James brought about.
Well done, team!