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LeBron James must take a pay cut to retire with the Los Angeles Lakers

By Jason Reed

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MAY 25: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers warms up before Game Two of the Western Conference first-round playoff series at Phoenix Suns Arena on May 25, 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MAY 25: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers warms up before Game Two of the Western Conference first-round playoff series at Phoenix Suns Arena on May 25, 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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LeBron James is the face of the NBA and is the reason why the Los Angeles Lakers won championship no. 17. Without LeBron there is no contending, no Anthony Davis trade and no NBA Championship, at least not yet.

As talented as the young core is, seeing the New Orleans Pelicans’ success, or lake thereof, even with Zion Williamson is proof that the young core Lakers were not going to truly contend for anything in Los Angeles.

The Lakers are the third stop in LeBron’s career as he became the first player in league history to win Finals MVP with three different teams. While he has jumped around in his career before, Laker fans seemingly don’t have to worry about LeBron leaving anytime soon.

LeBron said that he truly hopes that he can finish his career with the Lakers while appearing on the SmartLess podcast to promote ‘Space Jam: New Legacy’. That is great and all, but Rob Pelinka should have one simple request.

LeBron James must take a pay cut to retire with the Los Angeles Lakers.

LeBron James is the biggest sports star in North America and he gets paid like it. Not only is he getting a max contract from the Los Angeles Lakers but he is drowning in endorsement deals. LeBron checked in as the fifth-highest paid athlete on Forbes in 2021, making an estimated $65 million outside of basketball.

He’s got plenty of money and while he understandably is getting paid the max right now, if he truly wants to retire with the Lakers, that salary has to dip substantially.

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LeBron’s current contract expires after the 2022-23 season. At that point, he will be 38 years old and will be turning 39 that December. LeBron has defied father time thus far and maybe we should give him the benefit of the doubt, but the Lakers cannot afford to pay a 40-year-old player over $30 million.

While he has defied father time thus far, he has already started to take some small steps back. I do not think it is crazy to assume that by the time the 2023-24 season rolls around he will not be the same guy and the Lakers will need more starpower, even with Anthony Davis.

If the Lakers truly want to contend at that point in time LeBron has to take a pay cut and allow the team to sign another max player. James Harden, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Bradley Beal, Jimmy Butler, Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic will all be free agents that summer. Granted, some will agree to deals before then or opt-out of their deals sooner, but there will be options.

That has seemingly been the plan all along, hasn’t it? Win as many rings as possible with LeBron and AD while setting AD up to be the face of the team moving forward. Like Kobe Bryant with Shaquille O’Neal, AD would theoretically stick around in LA, get a new superstar running mate and win more titles in LA that way.

He would be the one remembered for this era in Lakers history 30 years from now. The Los Angeles Lakers simply cannot accomplish that if they continue paying LeBron this way until he retires.

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That is, of course, assuming that LeBron James does not retire after the 2022-23 season.