LeBron James will be ineligible to be traded next season

LeBron James is ineligible to be traded during the upcoming 2022-23 season because the second year of his extension exceeds a 5% raise. The Lakers could have north of $20 million in salary-cap space in the 2023 offseason and would have the ability to sign a third max contract player in the 2024 offseason. The player options increase salary-cap space if players decline them, and yet remain on new deals.
Source: Adrian Wojnarowski @ ESPN

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LeBron James has reportedly agreed to an extension in L.A. through 2025.
Hear @adaniels33 & @Rick Kamla on why this is so big for the Lakers #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/xMAUCWGBlp – 5:05 PM StatMuse @statmuse
Most games with 40/5/5:
68 — James Harden
62 — Michael Jordan
52 — LeBron James
Harden recorded 66 of those games as a Rocket. pic.twitter.com/Tnm90j4G2Q – 5:01 PM CBS NBA @CBSSportsNBA
2022-23 NBA schedule release, key dates: Warriors-Lakers on opening night; LeBron, Luka meet on Christmas Day
cbssports.com/nba/news/2022-… – 4:46 PM Jorge Sierra @hoopshype
Highest-paid Lakers ever
Kobe Bryant: $328,237,108
LeBron James: $295,099,479 (including last deal)
Anthony Davis: $215,303,305 (same)
Shaquille O’Neal: $144,749,716
Pau Gasol: $120,116,000 – 4:32 PM Micah Adams @MicahAdams13
Timeline of NBA’s all-time earner
2011 Shaq – $286M
2012 KG – $293M
2013 KG – $306M
2014 KG – $318M
2015 KG – $326M
2016 KG – $334M
2017 KG – $334M
2018 KG – $334M
2019 KG – $334M
2020 LeBron – $346M
2021 LeBron – $387M
2022 LeBron – $432M
2023 LeBron – $479M
2024 LeBron – $529M pic.twitter.com/ZoiErMxulJ – 4:07 PM Tommy Beer @TommyBeer
LeBron is 1,325 points behind Kareem. If LeBron maintains his scoring average of 30.0 points per game from last season and doesn’t miss a single contest, he’d pass Kareem in his 44th game (at home vs. Houston on Jan. 16).
The Lakers’ 52nd game is vs. the Knicks at MSG on Jan. 31 – 4:02 PM Rick Noland @RickNoland
LeBron extension almost assures there won’t be Part 3 in Cleveland – 3:46 PM Adam Zagoria @AdamZagoria
Now on @ForbesSports
LeBron James Signs 2-Year, $97.1 Million Extension With Lakers, Paving The Way To Team Up With Bronny in 2024
forbes.com/sites/adamzago… – 3:46 PM Tas Melas @TasMelas
LeBron James is gonna (at least) tie Vince Carter for most seasons played in NBA history. Some say LeBron’s best skill is his durability. – 3:45 PM Malika Andrews @malika_andrews
Breaking News on NBA Today: LeBron James has agreed to an extension with Lakers. @Adrian Wojnarowski with reporting on contract details, timing and what it means for the Lakers’ roster construction moving forward. pic.twitter.com/IzqbAlyoKJ – 3:34 PM Mike Trudell @LakersReporter
* @LeBron James is currently 1,325 points behind @Kareem Abdul-Jabbar‘s 38,387.
If LeBron averages 30.0 ppg (as he did last season), he’d surpass Kareem in his 44th game. If LeBron dips back to 25.0 ppg (his 2020-21 average), he’d surpass Kareem in 53 games. – 3:32 PM Mike Trudell @LakersReporter
When @LeBron James takes the floor for the season opener (Oct. 18 at GSW), he will become just the 10th player ever to play 20 NBA seasons.
He joins: Kobe, Kareem, KG, Dirk, Moses, Vince Carter, Robert Parish, Kevin Willis and Jamal Crawford. – 3:30 PM Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
For the “a trade is coming” crowd based on LeBron extending, I’d assume a Pacers trade is likelier than Kyrie if this is some sort of hint that a deal is imminent. I don’t think that’s the case, but even if it is, Kyrie still feels tied to what happens with KD. – 3:18 PM Adam Wexler @AdamJWexler
#Rockets schedule notes:
– LAC (J. Wall) at Hou, 11/2, 11/14
– OKC (Holmgren) at Hou, 11/26
– ORL (Banchero) at Hou, 12/21
– PHI (Harden, Tucker, House, Morey & probably more😀 ) at Hou, 12/5
– LAL (LeBron) at Hou, 3/15, 4/2
– NO (Zion) at Hou, 3/17, 3/19
@SportsTalk790 – 3:17 PM Adrian Wojnarowski @wojespn
ESPN story on Lakers star LeBron James agreeing on a two-year, $97.1M extension that makes him highest earning player in NBA history. espn.com/nba/story/_/id… – 3:13 PM StatMuse @statmuse
Most guaranteed career earnings (millions):
$532 — LeBron James
$499 — Kevin Durant
$470 — Steph Curry
$450 — Damian Lillard
👑 pic.twitter.com/zOHQLi3Jus – 3:12 PM Tim Reynolds @ByTimReynolds
2:57: LeBron extension news drops.
3: Schedule drops.
3:12: DO IT SEAN MARKS. DO IT. – 3:12 PM Josh Lewenberg @JLew1050
The Raptors will open the 2022-23 season, the 28th in franchise history, at home vs Cleveland on October 19.
Other key home games:
vs Lowry/Heat: Nov 16, Mar 28
vs DeMar/Bulls: Nov 6, Feb 28
vs Kawhi/Clippers: Dec 27
vs LeBron/Lakers: Dec 7
vs reigning champion Warriors: Dec 18 – 3:10 PM Christos Tsaltas @Tsaltas46
LeBron James stays in LA with the Lakers, at it was expected. He signed a new 2-year deal and that move propably can effect Bronny James. LeBron always said he wants to play with his son before his retirement and that can be in Cali. #LakeShow #JamesGang
sdna.gr/mpasket/994487… – 3:10 PM Chuck Swirsky @ctsbulls
Bulls basketball is back !
The opener: Oct. 19th at Miami
Home opener vs Cavs on October 22.
Defending NBA Champions, Golden State play at the UC , January 15.
Bulls host Cleveland New Year’s Eve night.
LeBron and the Lakers visit March 26. Bulls- Pistons in Paris Jan. 19 – 3:09 PM Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
I guess my question is, what changed for LeBron between Aug. 4 and Aug. 17? He could’ve extended 13 days ago. He didn’t. Maybe this signals a trade is coming, but it doesn’t feel that way. Is there something else here? – 3:08 PM NBA on ESPN @ESPNNBA
LeBron James and the Lakers have agreed to a two-year contract extension, with a player option for the 2024-25 season, per @Adrian Wojnarowski 💰 pic.twitter.com/LpTPs0ejua – 3:08 PM Chris Mannix @SIChrisMannix
LeBron’s decision to sign an extension with LA will end speculation about his immediate future, eliminating what could have been a potential distraction in the Lakers season. Focus now entirely on making this revamped roster work. – 3:07 PM Kamenetzky Brothers @KamBrothers
LeBron stealing the spotlight from the NBA schedule dropping. Never forget whose league it still is, kids. AK – 3:07 PM Tim Reynolds @ByTimReynolds
LeBron James, at his current scoring pace, could pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sometime around mid-January for the all-time NBA points lead — assuming he doesn’t miss games (or isn’t weighed down by $97 million more in his pockets.) – 3:06 PM Josh Newman @Joshua_Newman
LeBron James: Perennially underpaid. – 3:06 PM Tim Bontemps @TimBontemps
LeBron extending with the Lakers is massive on a couple of fronts. One, obviously, is him tying himself to the Lakers. Another is that this takes a big potential way for the Lakers to re-tool – him taking less money, like Harden did this summer – off the board. – 3:05 PM Adi Joseph @AdiJoseph
LeBron James, extended:
L e B r o n J a m e s – 3:04 PM StatMuse @statmuse
King James in year 19:
30.3 PPG
8.2 RPG
6.2 APG
1.3 BPG
97 million. pic.twitter.com/qeXELEJidZ – 3:01 PM Sean Highkin @highkin
LeBron’s new extension means he can opt out after Bronny’s freshman season… – 2:58 PM Kyle Goon @kylegoon
lol, LeBron would – 2:58 PM Adrian Wojnarowski @wojespn
The two-year, $97.1M extension, which includes a 15 percent trade kicker, makes LeBron James the highest earning player in NBA history with $532M in guaranteed money. He surpasses Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant. pic.twitter.com/UUHMspiKZp – 2:58 PM Shams Charania @ShamsCharania
Sources: Four-time NBA champion LeBron James has agreed to a two-year, $97.1 million maximum contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers, taking him under contract through 2024-25 season. – 2:57 PM Adrian Wojnarowski @wojespn
BREAKING: Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has agreed on a two-year, $97.1 million contract extension – including a player option for the 2024-2025 season, @Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN. James had been entering final year of deal worth $44.5M. – 2:57 PM StatMuse @statmuse
Most PPG+APG last season:
38.1 — Trae
37.2 — Luka
36.5 — LeBron
@NBAMuse24 pic.twitter.com/dXn0HNeU1x – 2:04 PM Mark Haynes @markhaynesnba
Sources: The Sacramento Kings will face LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2022-23 season on these four dates:
Nov. 11 at Los Angeles
Dec. 21 at Sacramento
Jan. 7 at Sacramento
Jan. 18 at Los Angeles – 11:58 AM Adam Zagoria @AdamZagoria
LeBron James shuts down rumors linking Bronny James to Oregon.
zagsblog.com/2022/08/17/leb… – 9:28 AM Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
The #Nets will play at LeBron James and the #Lakers on Nov. 13 on ESPN, according to a league source. – 3:55 PM

More on this storyline

The cap hits for James in his extension are projected at $46.7 million in 2023-24, and $50.4 million in 2024-25. This is the most likely amount he will receive in his extension since he is projected to earn more than his maximum salary amount going forward. It’s structured by giving James a 5 percent raise from his $44.5 million salary in the upcoming 2022-23 season, followed by an 8 percent raise off his $46.7 million salary in 2024-25. -via HoopsHype / August 17, 2022 Due to the Over-38 rule, James was limited to adding just two years in an extension. This is because the rule limits players to three-year deals that take them past their 38th birthday, which includes the current season if it’s an extension. -via HoopsHype / August 17, 2022 The maximum starting salary in 2023-24 for players with 7-9 years of service is currently projected at $39.9 million. They won’t be able to generate that amount of cap space with both James and Anthony Davis on the roster, which could price them out of next year’s top free agents. Because of this, their best shot at acquiring an All-Star level player will likely be via trade. Had James entered free agency in 2023 and re-signed on a one-plus-one at a significant discount like James Harden just did, then they could’ve had maximum space while potentially being able to get James back on a maximum contract in 2024. -via HoopsHype / August 17, 2022