While it was expected that Mitch Kupchak would meet LeBron James’s agent Rich Paul, it didn’t happen. Instead, Mitch Kupchak and Tim Harris went to Cleveland.
Lakers stealth: They said they didn't have meeting set up with LeBron James' agent but Kupchak + Lakers biz VP Tim Harris are in Cleveland.
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) July 4, 2014
When the Lakers can’t make the obvious, they go the extra mile to make sure they’ve done everything they can. While the Lakers offered Carmelo Anthony a maximum contract, it is still worth making the pitch to LeBron James. If LeBron James takes a paycut like he did in Miami, he can more than make up for it in endorsement deals in Los Angeles. His profile would work on a global scale, not just nationally.
It seems that the chances of landing LeBron James in Los Angeles seem slim. Still, the Lakers have made it obvious that they take care of their players. With everything that has happened to Kobe Bryant in the past couple of years, the Lakers went out of their way to make sure he is the highest paid player in the NBA.
LeBron has shown that he is willing to make sacrifices to ensure he gets the talent he wanted on the same team. With Carmelo possibly getting the max deal from the Lakers, LeBron would have to make a similar sacrifice. The difference is, in terms of endorsements, LeBron can more than make up for the salary difference altogether.
We just hope he’s more than willing to listen. He hope he’s willing to come into L.A. We all want the championships.