Skip to main content

Lakers Rumors: LeBron James Willing To Take Pay Cut For Star Players

Photo: Instagram/LeBron James

NBA free agency kicks off this Sunday, and the Los Angeles Lakers are expected to be in the spotlight once again. Despite several role players opting into their contracts, the Lakers currently have no cap space or open roster spots.

However, LeBron James might help change that. Reports say he's willing to take a pay cut if it means the Lakers can sign a top-tier player. By doing so, the Lakers could use the non-taxpayer mid-level exception of about $12.9 million per year.

James is selective about who he'd make this financial sacrifice for. According to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, he would consider taking less money for veteran stars like James Harden, Klay Thompson, or big man Jonas Valanciunas.

Photo: Instagram/LeBron James

The Clippers are likely to re-sign Harden, especially with Paul George possibly leaving, making his move to the Lakers unlikely. Valanciunas could fill the center position for the Lakers, but he might not be the high-impact player James is hoping for.

This leaves Klay Thompson as the most likely candidate. There appears to be mutual interest between Thompson and the Lakers. With free agency approaching, the idea of Thompson leaving the Golden State Warriors is more plausible than ever.

Thompson will have multiple teams vying for him, including the Clippers and Dallas Mavericks. However, the chance to return home and play for the Lakers, the team he grew up supporting, might be very appealing, especially since his dad, Mychal Thompson, calls games for the Lakers.

Ultimately, James won't take a pay cut for just anyone. It's up to the Lakers' front office to find a player good enough to convince the 39-year-old superstar. If not, the Lakers might enter the 2024-25 season without significant roster upgrades, hoping for internal improvements under their new coach.

Read Next: Phil Handy Unlikely To Return To Lakers After Coaching Snub

Source: Lakers Nation

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Bruce Springsteen Says Fame Once Scared Him and Therapy Saved His Life

Photo: Bruce Springsteen / Instagram   Bruce Springsteen says he feared fame would change him when his career took off with Born to Run  in 1975.  The rocker, now 76, told TIME100 in a cover story on Sept. 25 that he felt life becoming very different after his first TIME and Newsweek  covers.  He said the praise for his music was a dream come true but came with new problems.  Photo: Bruce Springsteen / Instagram   His sister Pam even told him about paparazzi looking into their family kitchen, which made him worry about how fame would affect them. Springsteen called fame “a very distorted lens” and said he had to protect what mattered most to him.  Those fears helped inspire his next album, Darkness on the Edge of Town , which celebrated working-class life.  He also revealed he struggled with thoughts of suicide after his 1982 album Nebraska and began focusing on mental health.  Springsteen still goes to therapy today and says it has cha...

Lola Young Cancels Second Show After Onstage Collapse

Photo: Lola Young / Instagram   British pop star Lola Young has canceled a second show in three days after collapsing onstage at the All Things Go festival in Queens on Saturday. The 24-year-old singer fell backward while performing her song “Conceited” and was carried offstage by staff. On Sunday, she announced on Instagram that she would not perform at the All Things Go festival in Columbia, Maryland, later that day. Photo: Lola Young / Instagram   She apologized to fans and said she loved her job but asked for “a day off.” The Maryland cancellation followed another on Friday, when Young pulled out of the We Can Survive concert in New Jersey due to what her team called “a sensitive matter.”  After her onstage collapse, she later told fans she was “doing okay now” but gave no reason for what happened. Lola Young suffers medical accident and collapses on stage. Keep her your prayers. We love you Lola. pic.twitter.com/0IUwjeAyql — Pop Bakes (@ThePopBakes) September 28, 202...

Patrick Mahomes' Father Arrested For DWI Days Before Chiefs' Super Bowl Clash

Photo: Instagram/Patrick Mahomes Patrick Mahomes Sr., father of star quarterback Patrick Mahomes , has been arrested for suspicion of driving while intoxicated, marking his third offense, just days ahead of the Chiefs' Super Bowl showdown against the San Francisco 49ers. Mahomes Sr. previously faced DWI charges in 2018, resulting in a guilty plea and a 40-day jail term.  His history includes DUI charges in 1994 and an arrest for public intoxication in 2016 during a game between TCU and Texas Tech, where his son played college football. Photo: Instagram/Patrick Mahomes Sr. With the arrest coming a week before the pivotal game in Las Vegas, questions arise about Mahomes Sr.'s attendance. Despite his previous plans to be there, the incident adds an unexpected twist to the Chiefs' preparations. Patrick Mahomes, seeking his third ring in just seven seasons, has garnered praise from his father, who acknowledges the rarity of such success.  However, Mahomes Sr. refrains from placi...