Lakers News: LeBron James Had No 'Problem' Being 1st Headliner to Sign

The Los Angeles Lakers didn't need to reel in a marquee free agent to secure a commitment from LeBron James.

According to Sports Illustrated's Lee Jenkins, James "did not have a problem being the first headliner" to join the Lakers.

James proved his desire to play for the Lakers on Sunday when Klutch Sports Group announced the 14-time All-Star agreed to a four-year deal worth $154 million.

Per Jenkins, James "wants to build a contender that lasts and believes the Lakers possess the recruiters, the assets and the salary-cap space to do it."

The Lakers missed out on Paul George, who agreed to his own four-year deal to stay with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Los Angeles is still talking to the San Antonio Spurs about a deal for Kawhi Leonard, but The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor noted the Spurs have been underwhelmed by recent offers and that "proposed packages have gotten worse with each round of negotiations."

When James returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers four years ago, they were in a similar position as these Lakers. They had Kyrie Irving and drafted Andrew Wiggins with the No. 1 overall pick before trading him to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a package for Kevin Love.

The Lakers, despite not making the playoffs since 2013, have promising young talent in Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball and Julius Randle (should he re-sign) to develop with James as the veteran voice ready to bring them back to prominence in the stacked Western Conference.