Player signings and trade news will gradually come out over the next while.
There are many news items today, but no big surprises, so we won’t discuss them one by one. We’ll have a dedicated basketball chat thread this afternoon.
This post will primarily focus on the contract matters of the two “James.”
1. James Harden
Harden declined his $36.3 million player option for next season and agreed to a two-year, $81.5 million extension with the Los Angeles Clippers.
The first year of the contract is fully guaranteed at $39.18 million, while the second year is a player option with partial guarantee at $42.31 million.
The Clippers retaineda full mid-level exception worth $14.1 millionto strengthen their roster.
How to evaluate this?
For Harden, earning big money for two more years means it might be time to consider taking his talent to the CBA.
The Clippers gave the maximum raise possible under the full mid-level exception, rewarding Harden’s performance last season the most.
He was criticized in the playoffs, but his regular season reliability is still solid.
For the team, aligning Harden’s and Kawhi’s contracts suggests the strategy for the next two seasons will likely revolve around the trio of Harden, Kawhi, and Zubac.
The year 2027 will be a crucial milestone for the team.
From a fan’s perspective, if you ask whether this Clippers team can win a championship?
Next question.
2. LeBron James
The veteran will exercise his $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season, starting his 23rd NBA season, becoming the first player ever to reach that milestone.
His career earnings have reached $581 million, nearing the $600 million mark.
The signal this choice sends is:LeBron is likely preparing for his final dance.
He passed up the chance to opt out and sign a 1+1 or longer-term deal.
If he had opted out, he could have signed a two-year $113 million or three-year $175 million max contract, but he chose to stick with his current deal, leaving the Lakers with only a $5.7 million mini mid-level exception for reinforcements.
This move can be interpreted from various angles.
First, from the player's standpoint, LeBron will seriously consider his career after next season.
By opting in, he prioritizes financial security but deepens the Lakers’ current conflict between championship aspirations and future planning.
The Lakers’ current situation is very contradictory.
At 41 years old, if LeBron continues to earn $50 million+ annually, the salary cap space will be severely limited, making it impossible to build a roster suited for Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
The most direct problem is, the team can’t even get a decent center. Only delusional Lakers fans keep dreaming daily about which star player might join, ignoring the reality of their team’s conditions...
Since LeBron stays with a big contract, the team will struggle to progress further with the current group.
In the regular season, they can’t rely too much on his efforts; in the playoffs, even his full-power mode is far less effective.
You can have LeBron go all out for one or two games, but a playoff series requires sustained effort, which is challenging for him now.
This is the conclusion from the Lakers’ recent playoff experiences over the past two to three years.
LeBron + Doncic + Reaves — what kind of defense is that...
If LeBron’s contract could be replaced by two players earning around $20 million each at forward and center positions, the Lakers’ actual strength and depth would be better than now.
But at least for next season, that’s not going to happen.
Some fans might ask, why doesn’t LeBron take a pay cut?
Moral pressure is pointless; although he’s not short of money, he won’t act against his financial interests.
Moreover, the Lakers don’t have a real plan to improve and show a genuine chance at a championship, so players won’t give up on money.
The most direct question:If LeBron took $10 million, would the Lakers win a championship?
It would still be tough.
Especially given the current competitiveness in the Western Conference.
For the team, it’s better to rely on LeBron’s ability to attract revenue and make money.
But... here comes the contradiction again.
Unlike when the Lakers honored Kobe regardless of results, the team now has Luka Doncic, a star in his prime.
The Lakers need to consider Luka’s feelings when making decisions.
LeBron fully understands and accepts that the team is building its future around Luka.
Therefore, from a team-building perspective, LeBron’s fans also need to realize that the man over 40 is no longer the central figure on the Lakers’ big stage.
If the Lakers want to contend for a title (ignoring commercial value), such a large contract is a heavy burden.
If LeBron retires in 2026, the Lakers will fully rebuild around 26-year-old Luka, freeing up over $100 million in salary cap space.
Currently, with Luka paired with Reaves in the backcourt and the current interior level, the team cannot compete for a championship(this is not something that Ayton alone can fix)The team cannot keep waiting for #77 too long.
Today, Smith, who can defend and shoot on the wing, went to the Rockets...
Neither the Lakers nor LeBron can have it both ways.
Especially under the current league system, you can’t have your cake and eat it too.
Wanting to make big money and win a championship at the same time is just unrealistic...
To put it more bluntly,The Lakers can only transition for at most one more season; dragging it out will upset Luka.
The implication is that LeBron’s departure from the Lakers is now on a countdown.
At the same time, it’s also the countdown to the end of his NBA career.