The Los Angeles Lakers have to figure out what they are going to do with LeBron James. They just signed Austin Reaves to a max contract, leaving a smaller pool of money to consider giving to James. With that being the case, negotiations could become contentious.
LA has several other positions in the frontcourt that they want to improve this summer. They will be looking for a new starting center. A new power forward isn’t out of the question, either. In order to have enough money for everyone, James would need to take a pay cut.
Based on the latest news, James hasn’t even had a shot to let the Lakers know if he would do that or not.
GettyLos Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James drives the ball. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
The Lakers Have Reportedly not Given LeBron James an Offer
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Lakers have not given James a contract offer this offseason. He mentioned this while speaking on Get Up. If that’s the case, it doesn’t seem that Los Angeles is very excited about the prospects of keeping him.
It has been reported that James would prefer to stay in Los Angeles. However, if he doesn’t receive a contract offer, he has no chance of staying with the Lakers. It seems unlikely that the Lakers will go this entire offseason without even offering him a deal.
James has only taken a pay cut once in his career, so that could be why the Lakers haven’t been in communication with him to this point. Still, it is surprising that they haven’t given him a single offer. It’s clear they are prioritizing other things over him at the moment.
Los Angeles also doesn’t want to be stuck without a way to build a contender around Luka Doncic. He is clearly the face of the franchise, and whatever the Lakers will do from here on out will be to help him become a better player.
GettyLos Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James drives to the basket in a game. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)
LeBron James Could Stay in the State of California
If James doesn’t end up staying with the Lakers, the possibility of him playing for the Warriors becomes greater. Golden State has indicated interest in James. With James loving to be in California, the Warriors make a lot of sense for him in the twilight of his career.
This past season, James was still a solid player, but he wasn’t a star. He averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists. His points and rebounds were the worst marks of his career. At his age, that’s exactly what should happen to a player of his caliber.
However, the Lakers don’t necessarily want to pay a player putting up those stats a ton of money. That is why it seems more likely than ever that James ends up parting ways with them to play the final act of his career somewhere else. Where that actually is remains to be seen.
Lakers Seem to be Disrespecting LeBron James With Latest Insider News