LABron James Discussion: The Final Year?

Watching the Lakers mock offseason with Yossi, Faigen and Irwin, Bron really needs to take a paycut. We gotta open that full MLE, it's the best way we maximize this roster and Bron a) owns us too with the star treatment he's getting, drafting Bronny and stuff, b) he's dropping off a bit in terms of endurance, so it's only fair value that he doesn't get max money and c) he should put all his chips in getting another title and we're WAY closer with Luka than with AD.

I can't conceive that Bron won't elevate his title odds considerably because he wants 10 million more. It's honestly a dumb decision.
We also have a unique situation where we maximize the last year of AR's deal, after this year that possibility is gone so we gotta hammer it this year.

 

i hope he's told the FO that if they can get a good player on the MLE, he'll take the cut to get it done.

the claim was he did that last year, but it was a list of his choosing (and frankly, imo, not a great one).

but i'll repeat my lebron refrain: he can take whatever money he wants, he's earned it. but he has not earned any right whatsoever to complain about his teammates while he's making that kind of money.

 

100% this

He needs to take a haircut to help bring in another player/s

 

Good to see he has enough time to get in shape for the season. Hope we keep him to around 30 min or less this year, but some guys aren't built for that. They'd rather dog it on defense and play more.

 

How much would LeBron have to take less for the full MLE?

At the end of the day, he's *still* a max player. 2nd team All NBA is nothing to scoff at. Admittedly, last season playoffs was the first season I noticed a huge drop-off. Didn't feel like the LeBron we are used to.

I hate the notion that he should just get paid at this point... Lakers drafted Bronny which is fine but it was done to keep LeBron happy.

They got Luka so they don't *need* LeBron. At the same time, Lakers would lose a lot of fan value if they didn't appease LeBron.

If the Lakers can get someone worth the full MLE, I can see LeBron taking a paycut knowing that the Lakers just bought LeBron a few more years of title contention and that LeBron himself knows he needs more talent.

Lakers primary concern at this point should be to build around Luka... and if LeBron isn't willing to take a paycut to do that, then it honestly speaks more about LeBron than it does the Lakers.

 

Just means he doesn’t make his teammates better SMH

and he feasted on the weak East teams his whole career

 

If the East was so weak, why didn't anyone else do something similar? Ever? That's a huge gap brother.

 

I really don't understand opting in if it's not his last year. Otherwise, I'd expect the usual 1 + 1. And if he's not sure if he's retiring, he's not retiring. He's going to want the full year retirement tour/ league wide celebration

Good to hear Bronny has been in the gym with pops. Being apart of the most successful off season routine in NBA history. It can only help.

 

i still just think it's weird he'll be giving up the power/control of the player option. imo, not only should he take a pay cut so that we can be more competitive, he should do it so that he has that option next year. opting in means we can tell him to kick rocks in FA next year.

and i know that's not the laker way, but...it would be very tempting.

in any case, his choice actually REALLY influences my offseason approach. if he truly opts in, i'm not making any trades that add any salary beyond this year. we'd be in position to have a ton of cash to spend in FA and build a team around luka and reaves (whose cap hold will be less than his eventual salary).

 

Could we be telling him that we only give him the 1+1 if he takes less? It would be the ideal approach but not really the Laker way.

I'm with all of you. He SHOULD take a cut to get us the MLE. It benefits both parties. Giving him another max contract does the team no good.
Curious to see how this unfolds

 

Nobody is telling Lebron to kick rocks professor. That's fantasy island talk. He might retire if he gets injured again next season tho.

 

If you were about to retire on your job, would YOU volunteer to take a paycut? Hell No.

 

no, but i wouldn't be offered more than my value by my employer, either. it's not a paycut. he's a free agent. it's a new contract. my employer might just...not offer it.

 

Who are you to determine that dude's value to the team? Jeanie? Walter?

 

At his age he can't stop. That's what gets more difficult, coming back after a few days not training

 

Opted in