NBA insider Brian Windhorst doesn’t believe that LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are on the same page. After the Lakers failed to acquire Klay Thompson, Windhorst stated on NBA Today that the team and LeBron don’t have the same priorities.
“Here’s the thing, not six months ago, not 16 days ago, like last week when they introduced JJ Redick as head coach, Rob Pelinka sat up there in front of everybody and said we are going to focus on development of young players,” Windhorst said. “We’re going to focus on our draft picks, we’re not going to trade our draft picks, that’s what he said.
“LeBron saying I’mma take a pay cut for a guy in his mid-30s is not doing that,” Windhorst continued. “What move have the Lakers made so far this offseason? They signed Max Christie to a $32 million deal, that’s a developmental player. That’s a guy who didn’t even play.
“That shows a plan to follow through with what they said, to keep the picks, to develop the players,” Windhorst added. “That is not with let’s trade a bunch of guys away and give extra picks to do it… The Lakers are trying to stick to a plan. It doesn’t seem like it equals what LeBron wants to do but they did draft Bronny and LeBron’s about to sign for $160 million.
“I think LeBron likes being a Laker and he’s going to stay being a Laker, but the Lakers and LeBron are not showing the same priorities right now,” Windhorst concluded.
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The Lakers had shown a reluctance to part with young players and draft picks in recent years, but it appeared as if that might change this offseason. They have three first-round picks they can trade, but it doesn’t look like the franchise is big-game hunting at the moment.
It’s what the two big guns on the team apparently want them to do, as LeBron and Anthony Davis reportedly want the Lakers to go all-in on another superstar. The front office is keeping an eye on the future, though.
As for the pursuit of Thompson, I don’t think the front office can be blamed too much there. According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, the Lakers wanted to trade D’Angelo Russell in a deal for Thompson but the Golden State Warriors weren’t interested.
Haynes reported that the Lakers were willing to give Klay a three or four-year deal worth about $20 million per year. So, it’s not like they completely disregarded James’ request to get the sharpshooter onboard.
LeBron James Now Likely To Want A Max Contract After The Lakers Didn’t Acquire Klay Thompson
LeBron was reportedly willing to take a $16 million pay cut on his new deal if the Lakers were able to bring in an impact player like Thompson. With Klay now having gone elsewhere, James is likely to want that max contract from the Lakers.
“For the Lakers, I think ultimately LeBron James probably takes that full max because the kind of impact player they hoped they could get is not available to them.”
It has also been reported that LeBron would be willing to take a pay cut if the Lakers can sign DeMar DeRozan, but I don’t think he’s going to take a big discount to join the team. So, I would expect the 20-time All-Star to sign a three-year, $162 million deal with the Lakers in the coming days.
Usually, giving a 39-year-old that kind of a deal would be termed foolish, but LeBron just averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game in the 2023-24 season. There is gas left in the tank and I fully expect him to play at a high level for at least two of those seasons.
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