LeBron James has agreed to return to the Los Angeles Lakers on a two-year, $104 million contract that includes a player option for 2025-26 and a no-trade clause.
The deal brings James back for his 22nd NBA season and essentially becomes a one-plus-one deal that allows him to reassess his Lakers and NBA future next summer.
James joins Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal as one of only two players in the NBA with no-trade clauses.
The maximum deal of $104 million would put the Lakers about $1 million over the league’s new punitive salary second apron and would severely limit the team’s roster flexibility.
The 39-year-old James remains among the league’s highest earners, averaging $51 million annually. This places him alongside players like Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, and Kevin Durant. Stephen Curry currently holds the top spot for salary cap hit at $55 million.
With this contract extension, James is projected to reach a career total of $583 million in NBA salary by the end of the 2025-26 season.
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