– Long-term commitment
While it was becoming clear a few days before his announcement that LeBron James would be coming to the Lakers, the deal that he signed was a very surprising one. For the last number of years, LeBron has been signing essentially one-year deals with an option. This has given James flexibility to leave if he didn’t like the direction of the team, or if a better opportunity presented itself.
With James signing a three-year deal with an option for the fourth year, it is a clear indication that he is in this for the long haul. Considering that the Lakers didn’t have another star in place, James committing for so long is very surprising.
The young core of the Lakers is certainly good, and depending on how quick they can develop with James, the Lakers could be a scary team to have to deal with. While there are still some unknowns about how good the young core of the Lakers will be, James obviously has some confidence in the group that he was willing to sign without a player like Kawhi Leonard or Paul George already there. At 33-years-old, James could be looking to finish up his career as a member of the Lakers.