229 million in 4 years! The Lakers contract renewal is coming? James wake up, there is no dispute who is the core

The Lakers have completed many operations so far since the offseason, got Ayton in the interior and signed Laravia, and they also lost Finney Smith. Regarding strengthening the wings, the team once showed interest in Wiggins, but the Heat asked for too high a price, and the two sides were unable to reach an agreement. As time goes by, the focus of the Lakers' discussions has come to James and Doncic. James's execution of the player option is to be determined in the future, and Doncic is also expected to renew early. 229 million in 4 years! Is the Lakers renewing their contract? James wake up, there is no dispute who is the core.

The Athletic Lakers' reporter Dan Woike talked about Doncic on the show. "I think they (the Lakers) are very confident about it. As far as I know, they had contacted him earlier in the summer and discussed the team's future plans. When they got him through the trade, they believed they could keep him for a long time." Doncic's existing contract expired in 2027, with about $46 million in the 2025-26 season and $48.97 million in the 2026-27 season. Due to being traded by the Mavericks, Doncic missed the super maximum salary contract this summer, which also made Doncic miss the super contract. This summer he can sign a four-year, $223 million contract with the Lakers. Or choose a shorter 3-year, $160 million contract (including player options) so that he can meet the conditions for 10 years in the NBA in 2028, thus signing a super maximum salary contract of $418 million for five years (the specific amount depends on the change in the salary cap).

Doncic played in the Lakers last season for 28 games, averaging 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game, shooting percentage of 43.8%, three-point shooting percentage of 37.9%, and free throw shooting percentage of 79.1%. Personally performed well. He will be eligible to sign a contract renewal on August 2. According to the information disclosed, the negotiations between the Lakers and Doncic have made progress and are in a good direction. It is undoubtedly very suitable for the Lakers. Doncic's annual salary is less than 60 million yuan.

is undoubtedly a relief for the Lakers. After all, keeping Luka Doncic for the team, this is their core team building for many seasons in the future. He is still young and one of the super giants in the league. There is hope for the future to lead the Lakers to achieve better results. When the Lakers exchanged Doncic with their thick eyebrows last season, the Lakers' future direction was already very obvious, which was to build the core of the lineup around Doncic, and there was no controversy.

The Lakers' problem point is here. James still has the strength of a top player in the league, but his offseason has made the outside world doubt that the Lakers are unwilling to choose to overdraw the future strengthening of the lineup and try to win the championship at the end of James' career and still have the ability to achieve better results. James chose to execute the player option and did not jump out of the contract and sign a 1+1 as usual. He is also very clear about the future plans of the Lakers management; this means that there must be problems between him and the Lakers management. Even if it is not as serious as the outside world says, the communication between the two sides is also problematic.

Previously, there was news that the Lakers have focused on creating free salary space for 27 years to sign a super giant to help Doncic compete for the championship, now James. Of course, there is not much time left for the Lakers. After all, the Western Conference teams have strong competitive strength. In the new season, the Rockets, Nuggets and Clippers have built a new lineup, plus the championship Thunder team last season. These teams are all popular championship teams in the Western Conference, and there are other teams such as the Timberwolves, Mavericks, Grizzlies, etc.

Can the Lakers add an excellent wing defensive player based on their existing lineup? How do you think the Lakers are competitive in the new season? Where will James go in the future?