LeBron James ended speculation when he signed a two-year deal to remain with the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite that, some say this season could be King James' last.
According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst , who has followed LeBron's career since he was in high school, the end of King James' playing career will depend largely on when the NBA will expand to Las Vegas.
"He's a Laker," explained Windy. "He's got the max money, he's playing with his son. Check mark, check mark. What is the next thing that he wants? He wants to be the owner of the coming team in Las Vegas."
First father and son tandem to play together
Bron recently agreed to a two-year $104.1 million contract with the Lakers. The deal is a 1-plus-1, meaning the second year will be a player option. James also secured a no-trade clause, meaning he will be a Laker until at least he is 41 if he chooses.
Bron's signing came after the Purple and Gold inked his son, Bronny , to a standard guaranteed deal worth $7.9 million for four years. That likely seals the deal that the James Gang will become the first Father and Son duo to play together on the same NBA team. With that accomplished, the NBA's all-time leading scorer may no longer have anything more to play for. That's not the case, according to Windhorst.
"So the biggest thing, other than health that is going to determine the end of LeBron's career is when the owners of the league set forth a timeline about when they are going to establish that expansion team in Las Vegas…He wants to join up with partners to become the face of the franchise in Las Vegas," he added.
LeBron wants to be a team owner
King James has not been shy in his desire to own an NBA team. With the rumor that Sin City could be the next to be given an NBA franchise, NBA commissioner Adam Silver teased LeBron about that prospect when he awarded the Lakers superstar the first-ever In-Season Tournament MVP award last December.
"The last trophy, the MVP Cup for outstanding play throughout the entire tournament, to a man who quite frankly, there's nothing else to win in this league. The only thing I can say is, 'I'm sorry but it doesn't come with a franchise.' LeBron James, the MVP," said Silver.
Windhorst says everything is still being determined. But he thinks that once the NBA's next TV deal and CBA are done, the governors will discuss expansion. That means the earliest it could happen would be two years from now. That's what LeBron is looking at.
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