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LeBron James can officially sign a contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. As usual, he has all the cards.
James’ new commitment could at least give the Lakers the means to try to properly build a contender. suggesting that you might like it.
Soon, James’ decision will affect how willing Los Angeles is to trade Russell Westbrook. /or 2029) or make it easier to recoup unwanted salaries under contract with Westbrook.
Without a long-term commitment, the Lakers appear to be sticking with their current roster, which would greatly exceed expectations.fan duel currently giving The Lakers have the 9th highest title odds.
What if James left?
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If James decides to move after this season, the franchise could have enormous purchasing power heading into the 2023 offseason.
the lakers almost $77 million If the roster narrows down to just Anthony Davis and Max Christie, we’ll be chasing James’ replacement in the cap space. That potential flexibility is why the Lakers were reluctant to replace Westbrook and give him back his sizable salary over the years.
The exact cap space figures depend on Taren Horton Tucker and Damian Jones. Both have player options. Additionally, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) may hammer out a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) ahead of the upcoming season that could affect the salary cap.
Expansion options
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James can start at around $47 million and extend for two more seasons for around $97.1 million. That would take him through the 2024-25 season, when Davis’ current contract expires.
That commitment would allow the Lakers to make it clear whether to take the salary or forgo draft considerations in the name of “win it now.”
Instead, James will likely receive a 1-plus-1 extension and can opt out after the 2023-24 season. , which ultimately limits front office confidence in future investments surrounding James.
Assuming James gets a player option in 1 plus 1 overtime, that ultimately equates to a year overtime. We can’t give any long-term guarantees to the team, but at least we’ll have a clear picture of its purchasing power in the summer of 2023.
If James is willing to stay below the top salary, he will likely wait for free agency to figure out exactly how the team will benefit.
What if James doesn’t extend and re-signs for 2023?
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James may choose to keep leverage on how the Lakers use that resource. That’s how James approached his second stint in Cleveland.
Naturally, he could wait with free agency to see if a new CBA would improve his earning potential.
But keeping Los Angeles in a state of instability can backfire.
Given that Davis could also opt out and leave in 2024 if James chooses to re-sign on a one-year deal in 2023, the Lakers are even more vulnerable. increase. 2 star uncertainty is a nightmare.
James is also available for a three-year contract worth about $47 million to about $151 million. The Lakers could reach about $31.5 million in cap space even with James back in Max (Horton said Tucker, Jones, and Austin for potential keepers like Reeves in his less). That might be enough cap space to chase a free agent like Kyrie Irving instead of trading this offseason.
Another (albeit less likely) path could see James signing a one-year minimum contract in 2023 for as low as $3.1 million.
This is a more extreme version of what James Harden seems to be doing with the 76ers in Philadelphia.But the Sixers under investigation How that situation is resolved could dictate how the Lakers deal with James, as he could potentially circumvent the rules with Harden.
If James were to at least sign, the Lakers could spend up to $76 million on James, with at most the right to re-sign him next season.
But a more reasonable path would be a short-term salary cut sufficient to allow the Lakers to add a good chunk. This also assumes Los Angeles and James are on the same page, trust each other, and the NBA won’t try to intervene.
Eventually…
A 1-plus-1 contract extension gives James a two-year guarantee, the ability to leave sooner, and perhaps the most reasonable, if not the Lakers, to join a team drafting his son Bronnie James. seems like a good way.
Email Eric Pincus to eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. @Eric Pincus.
