LeBron James could earn nine figures from the Los Angeles Lakers in the offseason

Right now, LeBron James is the most important player for the Los Angeles Lakers but will he still be their biggest star next year? This summer, the four-time champion has a choice to make: does he accept his $51.4 million player option with the Lakers or move to another team?

According to Brian Windhorst, James is "angling" to get a new three-year deal that is worth at least nine figures.

That is a massive amount of money but the Lakers will likely do whatever they must to pay for it. Even though he is 39 years old, James is a supremely talented and consequential player on the court and is averaging 25 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game this season.

Some fans online suggested that James should depart the Lakers and sign a veteran minimum contract with another team, one that is more likely to win a Finals within the next couple of years.

“Bro why, just pull a Brady and sign a vet min for a ring. Nobody wanna pay 40 mill for a 40 year old fam,” one fan wrote on Twitter.

However, others said that this deal was the right approach and that James has earned every single penny.

"He deserves a 10 figure deal minimum," one follower said online.

The Lakers don't have a lot of wiggle room when it comes to their cap space and will be out of money if both James and D'Angelo Russell choose to opt into their player options. In order to get relief, they might also say goodbye to Jaxson Hayes, Cam Reddish, and Christian Wood, who all also have player options.

At this point, the Lakers will do just about anything to keep LeBron James, including spending an enormous amount of money for just a few years.