Now that the Los Angeles Lakers have introduced JJ Redick as their new head coach, the next big hurdle for the organization is convincing LeBron James to stay if he opts out of his deal and tests free agency.

Per ESPN's Dave McMenamin, the Lakers are "committed to re-signing James" and are willing to offer him the full three-year max contract he is eligible for this summer.

James has a $51.4 million player option on his contract that must be decided on by Saturday.

Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reported that James is expected to opt out of the deal, but the "sense" is he will remain with the Lakers.

Per ESPN's Bobby Marks, James is eligible to sign a three-year deal worth up to $162 million with the Lakers through the 2026-27 season if he declines his option.

A three-year contract would take James through his age-42 season. The 20-time All-Star has talked publicly about retirement with some regularity over the past 12 months, but he has not put a timetable on when he might walk away.

Los Angeles won't have a great deal of flexibility this summer to upgrade its roster if James signs a max contract.

Marks noted the Lakers would "likely" be in the second apron if they keep their first-round pick and re-sign Max Christie, but they could have the $12.9 million non-tax mid-level exception if D'Angelo Russell turns down his $18.7 million player option and signs with another team.

As the Lakers turn the page from Darvin Ham to Redick as head coach, they will be looking for more consistent play during the regular season to avoid having to go through the play-in tournament like they have in each of the past two seasons.

A three-year deal for a player James' age would be virtually unheard of in the NBA. It would come with significant risk because he has missed a lot of time recently, though his 71 starts last season were his most in a season since 2017-18.

James also proved last season he is more than capable of playing at an elite level. He averaged 25.7 points on 54.0 percent shooting, 8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds per game.

The Lakers could have their answer about James' plans as soon as Sunday when free agency begins at 6 p.m. ET.