After rejecting a 1-year automatic extension with the Los Angeles Lakers and a salary of nearly 50 million USD, LeBron James did not take too much time to negotiate a new contract with the Crypto.com Arena team.
Accordingly, LeBron James will extend his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers for 2 more years, with a salary of 104 million USD. This contract includes a 1-year extension clause at the player’s option (Player Option) in the 2025/26 season. This gives LeBron James flexibility in choosing where to end his career.
The Sporting News provides information about the contracts LeBron James has signed throughout his NBA career.
LeBron James’ NBA Contract History
Since joining the NBA in 2003, LeBron James has signed a total of 10 contracts in his career.
2003 — 4 years – $18.8 million rookie contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers
After being selected by his hometown team Cleveland Cavaliers with Pick 1 of the 2003 NBA Draft, LeBron James received his first NBA contract with a term of 4 years, worth 18.8 million USD.
NBA rookies are not allowed to negotiate their first contract, and this is based on the salary range of that year’s NBA Draft. On average, LeBron James earned less than $5 million per year during this time.
2006 — 4 years – $60.4 million with Cleveland Cavaliers
Three years later, LeBron James got his first big contract of his career. He signed a four-year contract extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers, worth $60.4 million in the summer of 2006.
2010 — 6 years – $110 million with Miami Heat
In the summer of 2010, LeBron James became a free agent. At that time, LeBron James’ future was one of the most concerned issues. LeBron James wanted a title, but 7 years of playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers showed that the team could not build a strong enough squad to meet his ambitions.
Then, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat came to a “Sign and Trade” agreement for LeBron James. He joined the Miami Heat to form a “Superteam” with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, in exchange for the Cavaliers receiving some benefits in the NBA Draft. This deal became extremely famous, along with the show “The Decision” which caused a lot of controversy about loyalty or glory at that time.
2014 — 2 years – $42.2 million with Cleveland Cavaliers
After 4 years playing for Miami Heat and winning 2 NBA championship titles, LeBron James wants to return to his hometown Cleveland to help the team fulfill its championship dream.
He rejected the automatic renewal terms he had previously signed to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the summer of 2014 with a 2-year, $42.2 million contract.
2015 — 2 years – $47 million with Cleveland Cavaliers
After 1 year of competition, Cleveland Cavaliers proved that they have a strong enough core to support LeBron James, with the appearance of Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving. In 2015, LeBron James extended his contract with Cleveland Cavaliers for 2 more years, with a salary of only 47 million USD so that the team has enough salary fund to build the team.
In the 2015/16 season, LeBron James fulfilled his dream of bringing home the championship for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
2016 — 3 years – $100 million with Cleveland Cavaliers
After winning the 2016 championship, LeBron James once again rejected the automatic renewal clause with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He aimed to sign a 3-year, $100 million contract extension with the Ohio State team.
2018 — 4 years – $153.5 million with the Los Angeles Lakers
In the summer of 2018, LeBron James rejected the automatic extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers to become a free agent. At that time, many teams expressed interest in this star, but all rumors showed that this player was willing to go to the Los Angeles Lakers to inherit the legacy of Kobe Bryant.
LeBron James signed a four-year, $153.5 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers in the summer of 2018.
2020 — 2 years – $86 million with Los Angeles Lakers
After winning the 2019/20 NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James continued to extend his contract with the team for another 2 years, with a salary of 86 million USD.
2022 — 2 years – $99 million with the Los Angeles Lakers
After his old contract expired, LeBron James quickly reached an agreement with the Los Angeles Lakers on a 2-year contract worth $99 million starting in the 2022/23 season.
2024 — 2 years – $104 million with the Los Angeles Lakers
After his son Bronny James was selected in Pick 55 of the 2024 NBA Draft, it was rumored that LeBron James would take a pay cut so that the Los Angeles Lakers could have enough money to build their roster.
However, after the Lakers failed to attract good players in the free market, LeBron James signed a two-year contract extension with the club worth $104 million. This contract includes a one-year extension at the player’s discretion (Player Option) for the 2025/26 season.
LeBron James’ Total Career Salary Earnings in the NBA
After 21 seasons in the NBA, LeBron James has earned a total of $479.5 million in salary. His new deal with the Los Angeles Lakers will certainly bring his total earnings to over $500 million.
There have been times when LeBron James has not been the highest paid player on the team. However, his incredible longevity has allowed him to earn a steady stream of income from his playing contracts. The second highest paid player in the NBA, Kevin Durant, has only made $396.7 million.
LeBron James’ numbers will certainly be surpassed by future generations, as the NBA’s salary cap continues to increase, especially compared to when LeBron James entered the NBA 21 years ago. However, perhaps no one can match his longevity, as LeBron James is still one of the best players in the world despite being nearly 40 years old.
