The Los Angeles Lakers may have to pay LeBron James more money than they desire with the upcoming free agency period leading to huge decisions. Some hope existed that James would be willing to take a veteran’s minimum contract to help the Lakers or whatever team he signs with improve their roster. However, that may no longer be the case if LeBron is looking to get paid more money.
NBA insider Jake Fischer shared the following update on his live stream:
“Last Tuesday… I said that there were many people around the league who thought that LeBron should take a veteran minimum salary. It does not sound like that is actually in the cards at all. I wanna be very, very clear about that after some text messages and phone calls I received after sharing that sentiment.”
Fischer implied that people from James’ camp or sources extremely close to him confirmed that a vet min is not on the table. LeBron could still take a modest contract to help the team that signs him, but this coming out so fast is not a great sign for the Lakers or a couple of other teams hoping to sign the legend.
Why This Hurts The Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers have been rumored to view this summer as a huge turning point in building a championship roster around Luka Doncic. LeBron is desired to return, but the path may be hard for the Lakers to pay everyone they want to keep and sign this summer.
Austin Reaves is going to get a long-term contract to stay with the Lakers for a long time, unless another team convinces him to leave. Rui Hachimura, Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard, and Jaxson Hayes are all set to become free agents as well. The Lakers hope to keep them all, but that open cap space will be filled quickly.
A desire to either trade for a new starter or sign a free agent from another team may be difficult. James potentially taking a veteran minimum contract was the only way to retain everyone and add new pieces. However, this seems unlikely with LeBron wanting more money on a new deal.
Other Interested Teams Hurt By LeBron News
The other main teams interested in LeBron this summer will also struggle to sign him based on their cap salary situations. Four players making near max money for the Cleveland Cavaliers see them requiring James to take a veteran minimum to return home.
The Golden State Warriors could offer LeBron a little more money than a vet min, but this news complicates their future if they acquire him. Teams will likely have to get James to agree to a contract and work on a sign and trade with the Lakers to add him to a roster.
LeBron taking a cheap contract would have been the dream scenario for the Lakers and other teams to improve their chances of title contention. However, it seems that James is not going to take an extremely discounted contract in hopes of one more ring.
Lakers Get Negative Update On LeBron’s Free Agency Desires