LeBron James contract is a scathing indictment of Rob Pelinka as Lakers GM
The Los Angeles Lakers have officially done what was expected of them, re-signing LeBron James, who was an unrestricted free agent after rejecting his player option.
Keeping LeBron in purple and gold is obviously a great thing, but the terms of the deal are less than inspiring.
James inked a two-year deal worth $104 million, with the second year being a player option. Avoiding a long-term deal for a 39-year-old obviously sounds great, but LeBron is free to ponder over his options next offseason once again. He might seriously do so after what transpired this offseason, which is an indictment of Rob Pelinka as the team's GM.
BREAKING: LeBron James plans to sign a two-year, $104M max deal to return to the Lakers. The deal includes a player option and no-trade clause, per @wojespn. pic.twitter.com/MVI6Z92udp
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) July 3, 2024
Terms of LeBron James' contract is a direct indictment of Rob Pelinka as Lakers GM
What's key here is that LeBron inked a max deal. He's making over $50 million annually. That, after an earlier report suggests he'd consider taking less than the max if the Lakers secured the right targets, shows that Pelinka failed.
With LeBron James opting out to re-sign with the Los Angeles Lakers, the superstar is considering opening up a pathway for the team to obtain the full midlevel exception for the right targets, league sources tell @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport. pic.twitter.com/rzew2q2V9Q
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 29, 2024
One target high up on LeBron's list was presumably Klay Thompson, who chose to join the reigning Western Conference Champion Dallas Mavericks. Without anyone else worthy of taking the full midlevel exception in LeBron's eyes, he took his money, as is his right.
Hiring JJ Redick and drafting LeBron's son, Bronny, certainly helps when it comes to keeping James content in Los Angeles, but you can't help but wonder if this team will be any better than it was last season.
Outside of drafting Dalton Knecht, this Lakers team has done virtually nothing over the offseason. They're essentially running back a team that was the No. 7 seed and lost in five games in the first round against the Denver Nuggets with LeBron one year older.
The Lakers don't have an NBA Finals appearance, much less a Finals win, since they won it in 2020. LeBron and Anthony Davis have been in Los Angeles the entire time. Eventually, Pelinka has to deliver something. His inability to land any high-end free agent that encourages LeBron to take less shows that even the best player on the team doesn't trust that Pelinka can do it for this season.
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