Contract Extension Coming for Kobe

Kobe Bryant could have opted out of the final two years of his contract on Tuesday, which would have made him an unrestricted free agent. But since Bryant has no intentions of playing anywhere else, the only reason he would have done so would have been to secure a brand new, max deal with the Lakers.

Bryant decided not to terminate his contract, but fear not: he'll still be just fine financially. Kobe will make in the neighborhood of $23M next season, and the L.A. Times is reporting that he'll likely sign a three-year extension on his current deal sometime this summer.

The extension would be worth somewhere between $86 and $91 million, depending on the NBA's salary cap number that gets figured out in 2011.

Perhaps of more importance to Lakers fans, though, is the fact that the earliest Bryant would be able to opt out of any new deal would be three years from now in 2012. But, as was the case this time around, there are financial reasons that would make it potentially unwise to do so.

All of this contract talk points to one thing: At the end of the three-year extension -- and after 18 seasons in the league -- it's more likely than not that Kobe Bryant will retire as a member of the one team he's played for his entire career. In today's NBA, that's a rare and special accomplishment for one of the game's biggest stars.