The Lakers have got some huge decisions to make this summer and it looks as though they are backing whatever LeBron James wants to do.
He will be a free agent, but he also must decide whether he even wants to return to the NBA next season or ride off into the sunset after 23 years.
Lakers GM Rob Pelinka seemed supportive of whatever way the 41-year-old decides to lean.
“I think in terms of LeBron, we probably haven’t seen a player that has honored the game to the extent that he’s honored the game,” Pelinka said at his annual end-of-season press conference. “He’s given so much to his teammates, to this organization. And the thing we want to do more than anything else is honor him back.
“I think the first order of business there is allowing him to spend the time he needs to decide what his next steps are. Does he want to play another year in the NBA? That will be, as he said to you guys [Monday] night, family time. I think time with his inner circle. And we just want to honor that for him. Of course, any team, including ours, would love to have LeBron James on their roster. That’s a blessing in itself, just with what he does.”
If LeBron’s contract is too pricey though, could they be inclined to let him go to another team?
We have seen in the past that LeBron is willing to make sacrifices.
He reportedly took a slight pay cut (approximately $2.7 million less) to help the Lakers stay under the second salary apron and gain flexibility in 2024.
But whether he is willing to do that again remains to be seen.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks thinks if LeBron James left the Lakers, he “would likely sign at the $15M non-tax midlevel or veterans minimum” with any other team.
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