LeBron James has been a max contract player for as long as some people have been alive. On the cusp of a new deal for his 24th season, that type of big-money payday is expected to elude him.
Dave McMenamin reported for ESPN: "The [Los Angeles] Lakers technically could offer James a maximum of three years and $182 million to stay, but nobody around the league expects the team to offer James anywhere close to that."
No expectations of anything close to a max contract is pretty telling when it comes to the finances of James' next deal. Even with that being the case, that does not mean the Lakers are off the hook entirely.
Other suitors without a preexisting history with LeBron may not be on the hook for more than the limited finances they could offer. It could very well be a different story for the Lakers if NBA insider Sam Amick is right.
"The Lakers have got to hit a bigger number than other places to avoid disrespecting him in my opinion. That's were the door is open to other teams," Amick said of James and his next deal.
Lakers could owe LeBron James a bigger share of the pie than any new destination
Amick cited the previous disrespect the Lakers have given James as a reason there could be more hard feelings from getting low-balled in Los Angeles. Most are anticipating that LeBron returns to his current team. Despite that, the NBA insider thought there was a willingness to explore playing somewhere else for the 41-year-old.
The question then becomes: What is the number at which James does not feel disrespected in a potential return?
If this is stacked up against the Golden State Warriors, who can offer the $15.1 million nontaxpayer midlevel exception, the number to beat is quite simple. ESPN's Dave McMenamin even tossed those figures out in his aforementioned report as well.
$20 to $30 million for James beats what the Warriors are offering and could still leave the Lakers with the money needed to address other parts of the roster. Would that be enough for a player who has constantly been paid like one of the top stars in the league? At this stage, it should be.
There are no real contenders out there who can offer James anything close to a max contract and a chance at a fifth championship. Whatever the Lakers can put together financially can still beat everyone else in the mix.
If an offer is given in good faith that exceeds what other teams can muster up, James should be understanding of what is the best price the Lakers can do without sacrificing their ability to make moves in other places. A championship is the end goal for everyone. LeBron should hopefully understand as much.
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