The Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated in the first round of the NBA playoffs, highlighting the lack of depth behind LeBron James and Luka Doncic. If the team wants to make real improvements to the roster this summer, that just became more complicated.
According to The Athletic‘s Sam Amick and Jovan Buha, James is not expected to consider taking a pay cut this summer after doing that for the Lakers’ front office last offseason.
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- LeBron James stats (ESPN): 24.4 PPG, 7.8 RPG< 8.2 APG, 51.3% FG
That’s a stark contrast from last summer. With Anthony Davis on the roster, James was reportedly willing to slash his salary by nearly $15 million if the franchise brought in one of Klay Thompson, DeMar DeRozan, or James Harden. Los Angeles quickly struck out on all three options.
The 40-year-old still agreed to take a pay cut, reducing his salary by $2.7 million to help the Lakers stay under the second apron. By doing so, Los Angeles had more financial flexibility with the use of the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5 million). However, the Lakers essentially used the pay cut to save money.
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A year later, after never being consulted on the Luka Doncic trade, James is evidently not willing to make substantial financial sacrifices. While he is expected to play next season, four-time NBA champion and 21-time All-Star seems intent on making as much money as he can next season.
James will spend the next few weeks rehabbing from a Grade 2 MCL sprain he suffered in his left knee during the fourth quarter of the Game 5 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. As for the Lakers front office, it will be navigating a tight cap situation to try and add more depth to the roster and find a starting-caliber center for next season.
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