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Even though LeBron James opted out of his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, he’s firmly expected to sign a new deal with them.
That’s not a surprise, as the Lakers have made a lot of decisions that would please him, including hiring his friend and business partner as his new coach and taking his son in the second round of the NBA Draft.
Now, it seems like James might finally give them something in return.
According to a report by Dave McMenamin of ESPN, James could consider taking a pay cut to help the team land some key free agents (via NBA Central).
LeBron James is willing to take a pay cut for James Harden, Klay Thompson, or Jonas Valančiūnas, per @mcten
“The type of player that James would be willing to make a financial sacrifice for would be an established veteran playmaker like James Harden or Klay Thompson, or an… pic.twitter.com/CNdTeDxtOW
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 29, 2024
Apparently, James would be willing to take less money if that meant getting someone in the ballpark of James Harden, Klay Thompson, or Jonas Valanciunas.
Truth be told, this should’ve always been the case regardless of who they’re able to sign.
LeBron is literally a billionaire, and the Lakers simply aren’t good enough to compete for an NBA championship.
We’ve seen multiple players take pay cuts for the sake of the team, and if he wants to win another ring before walking away, it might be the only way.
Of course, he could also continue to play for his individual gain and milestones; there’s literally nothing wrong with that either, given that he’s already done everything he could’ve possibly done in this league.
But if he’s serious about actually winning, then this should be a no-brainer for him and almost even a condition by Rob Pelinka at this point.
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