Last offseason, LeBron James was reported to be very giving when it came to his financials, offering a pay cut to the Los Angeles Lakers. The expectations for 2025 will not include James handing out those kinds of favors anymore.
For anyone hoping the future Hall of Fame inductee would grant the Lakers some cap relief by opting out of his player option and signing a team-friendly deal, Jovan Buha and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported otherwise.
The pair wrote, "League sources say he’s not expected to consider the kind of pay cut that was in play around this time a year ago. Last summer, James took a discount of approximately $2.7 million to help the Lakers stay under the second apron and maintain roster flexibility."
James was certainly under no obligation to help the Lakers in that way. However, the path to banner number 18 in Los Angeles could be made more difficult as a result of this expected path.
Cap constraints will provide challenge for Rob Pelinka and company
LeBron reportedly had an even bigger pay cut on the table for the Lakers last offseason, for the right type of addition.
Buha and Amick wrote, "James considered taking an even steeper pay cut to help the Lakers land an impact player in free agency ... league sources confirmed. The Lakers didn’t land any of them, and James instead signed for closer to his max."
If or when James decides to return to Los Angeles for the upcoming 2025-26 NBA season, Shams Charania reported that the 21-time All-Star 'probably opts into that' player option on his current deal.
Rob Pelinka would have had a much easier time building out the Lakers roster with LeBron at a discounted rate. Now, the newly-extended front office executive will have to prove his worth.
The Lakers have a hefty list of offseason priorities, including: maxing out Luka Doncic, ensuring James' future in Los Angeles, retaining Dorian Finney-Smith, adding frontcourt help, and bolstering the depth and defense.
They have to manage all that while tightly navigating the NBA's dreaded second apron and allowing themselves some future flexibility in further bolstering the roster if needed at the 2026 NBA trade deadline.
Pelinka will have every opportunity to prove that he is worth every cent of the commitment the Lakers organization made in him. The window to win a championship while James' superstar talents are still around is quickly closing.