LeBron James is reportedly willing to take a significant pay cut if the Los Angeles Lakers can secure impact players like Klay Thompson or Jonas Valanciunas. According to Adrian Wojnarowski, James will re-sign with the Lakers regardless, but his willingness to accept a lower salary hinges on the team’s ability to land key additions through the mid-level exception, which is approximately $13 million.
“He’s going to sign a new deal regardless with the Lakers. He’s got a chance to play with Bronny and he’ll decide the length of that deal. He can do a three-year, $162 million deal. He can do a one-plus-one.”
“But there’s a sense probably LeBron James starts to really take this year-to-year. But what he’s telling the Lakers is if they can find an impact player at the mid-level exception about $13 million, whether that’s a Klay Thompson, a James Harden, a Jonas Valanciunas, maybe a couple others.”
“This is not a star-lead in free agency class. He will take less on his contract to allow the Lakers to add that exception into their payroll. Right now he’s due to make about $50 million-plus with his new deal.”
“He’d have to take about $20 million less for the Lakers to have their full mid-level exception. James Harden, He’s gonna get more than to return to the Clippers. Jonas Valanciunas, Klay Thompson.”
“There’s certainly other options for the Lakers. It’s not going to be easy for the Lakers whether LeBron is willing to take a pay cut or not, to land an impact player but he said he’s willing to do it.”
LeBron James is willing to take a $20 million pay cut in order for the Lakers to secure the full mid-level exception, per @wojespn:
– There’s a sense LeBron will take it year-to-year now on new contracts instead of a multi-year deal.
– Klay Thompson and Jonas Valanciunas appear… pic.twitter.com/y2f2BULiHP
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) June 30, 2024
James has the option to sign a new deal worth up to $162 million over three years or opt for a shorter, year-to-year approach. His decision appears to be influenced by the Lakers’ ability to bring in players who can make a meaningful difference. Currently, he is set to earn around $50 million, but to free up the mid-level exception, he would need to accept approximately $20 million less.
While James Harden has been mentioned as a potential target, his likelihood of joining the Lakers is low, given that the Clippers are offering him a more lucrative deal. This leaves Klay Thompson and Jonas Valanciunas as the primary targets for the Lakers’ offseason ambitions.
Klay Thompson, despite coming off one of his worst seasons, still has plenty to offer. He averaged 17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 43.2% from the field and 38.7% from three-point range. His ability to stretch the floor and his championship experience would be invaluable to the Lakers, providing a reliable scoring option alongside James and Anthony Davis.
Jonas Valanciunas, on the other hand, brings a different skill set that could greatly benefit the Lakers. He averaged 12.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game last season, shooting an efficient 55.9% from the field and 30.8% from three-point range.
Valanciunas can play the center position, which would allow Davis to shift to his preferred power-forward spot. This would not only optimize Davis’s performance but also add significant size and rebounding to the Lakers’ frontcourt.
Acquiring either Thompson or Valanciunas would require careful financial maneuvering and possibly some sacrifices. However, with James’s willingness to take a pay cut, the Lakers have a unique opportunity to enhance their roster significantly.
As the offseason progresses, all eyes will be on how the Lakers manage their cap space and whether they can secure these key targets to make another championship run.
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