Report: LeBron James likely to opt out this offseason, ‘willing’ to take a pay cut
LeBron James will likely decline his player option in the offseason, allowing the Lakers to re-sign him at a lower number to help bolster the roster.
While the NBA season is still in full swing, the offseason is right around the corner. The Lakers will have plenty of things to consider, and with LeBron James having a player option, they are unsure whether he will opt in or decline.
According to a recent article by Brett Siegel of Clutch Points, LeBron is most likely to opt out and take a pay cut to give the Lakers some cap relief, allowing them to re-sign players and bolster the roster.
LeBron will likely opt out of his $50.6 million player option, but he is not expected to leave Los Angeles, league sources told ClutchPoints. This has been James’ strategy through the years, signing those unique “1+1” contracts which give him and the Lakers flexibility to adjust their cap numbers accordingly.
Last offseason, James made it clear to Rob Pelinka and the Lakers front office that he would be willing to take a slight pay cut if it meant them targeting impactful talents who could increase the team’s championship odds. He will very likely do the same this summer, allowing Los Angeles to add more talent around him and Luka Doncic. Bringing back Jaxson Hayes has also become a priority for the Lakers, along with evaluating an underwhelming pool of frontcourt talent.
This is far from a foregone conclusion, but it does make sense. LeBron opted out last season, re-signed with the Lakers and has done this throughout his career.
The Lakers' front office could not add a key player last year, but with the addition of Luka Dončić at the deadline, they’ve given him the help he’s needed. They can do even more if he returns the favor by opting out and taking less.
They will still need a center, both starting and backup, and some wing depth. If LeBron gives the Lakers this financial assistance, they can use the money to add the missing pieces to this team.
LeBron's return would also mean the Lakers get a full summer to build around him, Luka, and Austin Reaves.
Now that they know the key pieces, they can create a roster around them instead of the now defunct duo of Lebron and Anthony Davis.
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