Every time LeBron James is up for a contract extension, he grabs tremendous attention from both media and fans. The fact that he is turning 38 years old in four months, and the Lakers are in a difficult situation, doesn't change this.

The biggest deal the Lakers can offer will be a two-year, $97.1 million contract, and they have no reason to hesitate to either offer or ink it if James nods his head to the deal.

However, no deal has been reached yet despite the "productive" discussions between the two sides. Apparently, it will take more than money to convince James to stay with the purple and gold. Building a competitive squad to contend for the NBA Championship can be helpful, but the Lakers won't have the assets to do so until 2023 summer, when James' current contract comes due.

Meanwhile, James has been talking about playing with his first-born son LeBron James Jr., who will be able to enter the NBA Draft in 2024. There may be teams trying to lure the father with his son in two years.

Host: Li Xiang

Guest: Matthew Watson

Cover designer: Feng Yuan

Chief editor: Chen Ran

Supervisor: Zhang Shilei