According to The Athletic, this marks the first time since 2010 that LeBron has not declined his player option in order to become a free agent, reflecting both how James understands his own market value as an aging player with the opportunity to play alongside his son, Bronny, who is entering his second year with the Lakers organization.

Like sharks sensing a presence in the water, Rich Paul's cryptic statement that accompanied LeBron James' decision to opt in to his $52.6 million salary for next season led some teams to call the Los Angeles Lakers about the four-time NBA MVP's availability.

LeBron is the master of offseason passive-aggressive statements to get his team to spend. This is more of the same.