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LeBron James agrees to stay with Los Angeles Lakers with $104 million deal

Updated on: July 3, 2024 / 7:08 AM PDT / KCAL News

CBS News Los Angeles

LeBron James has reportedly agreed to a $104 million dollar, two-year deal to return to the Lakers, according to ESPN and The Athletic.

The deal will pay James his maximum salary for the 2024-25 season, but will include a player option for the 2025-26 season, giving him flexibility for future plans, CBS Sports confirmed.

LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles the ball during the third quarter of the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Crypto.com Arena on December 28, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images

This comes after the Los Angeles Lakers introduced their new players, including James' eldest son, Bronny, and Dalton Knect.

Bronny James and Dalton Knecht, who was the first-round pick of the Lakers from Tennessee, were introduced by the team in a news conference on Tuesday.

The Lakers drafted Bronny with the No. 55 pick in the second round of the NBA draft last week after one season at the University of Southern California. Bronny James spent four years at Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth before graduating in 2023.

Bronny was also picked by Team USA to play at the Nike Hoop Summit, according to his USC profile.

LeBron James first signed with the Lakers in 2018 with a four-year, $154 million deal. He won an NBA championship with the Lakers in 2020, the 17th in franchise history.

He also won NBA championships with the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers before coming to the Lakers.

Amy Maetzold

Amy Maetzold is a digital producer at CBS Los Angeles. She started her journalism career in Wisconsin where she was a producer at NBC15 and Spectrum News 1. Before coming to KCAL, Amy covered news in Santa Barbara at KEYT, winning a group Emmy Award for team coverage on the Alisal Fire.