LeBron James signs $52.6 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers

Breaking: Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James is opting into his $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul told ESPN.

"LeBron wants to compete for a championship," Rich Paul told ESPN. "He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all.

The second apron prevents the Cavs from aggregating contracts in a trade. That means that Cleveland would need to get under the second apron in a prior deal or the actual trade that brings back LeBron. In short, they'd need to send out at least $70,4 million to make it work.