NBA – In the midst of rumors, LeBron James ready to annoy the Lakers with his decision?

Par Mathieu Seguin | Rédacteur sport

With June approaching, we should know more about LeBron James’ future in the coming weeks. Shams Charania gave a new indication on Tuesday, which could annoy Lakers and fans alike.

After this disappointment against the Wolves, the Lakers are hoping to bounce back quickly with a quality recruitment over the summer. The priority seems pretty clear for the Californian franchise, which needs a true pivot in the racket to contend in the playoffs. It was obvious during the season, and it was felt in the first round against Rudy Gobert, who was too strong for them.

But who to choose? There are several avenues to explore for the front office and Rob Pelinka. We could mention Nic Claxton from the Nets, Daniel Gafford from the Mavericks or even Naz Reid from the Wolves, although the latter should be out of reach for the Lakers due to his future salary. It has to be said that the Purple and Gold are very limited in this area.

LeBron James not ready to help the Lakers?

With Luka Doncic and soon Austin Reaves, who wants to be paid for the summer of 2026, the Lakers have a sizeable payroll. It’s about to reach a new milestone in a few weeks with LeBron James, who has a decision to make for June: accept or decline his player option. And it’s worth over 52 million a season.

Such a salary for a player over 40? No doubt about it, the King is an anomaly in today’s league. It’s a crazy contract, and according to Shams Charania, the player is well on the way to accepting this option. That’s his right, of course, but it’s likely to annoy a lot of people. Such emoluments won’t help the Lakers recruit any better this summer.

@LegionHoops : “According to Shams Charania, LeBron James is likely to opt-in to his $52.6M player option.”

Last year, however, James agreed to lower his salary slightly to allow his front office to recruit more effectively. A few million is sometimes enough to make the difference in signing a big player, but it seems that number 23 isn’t ready to make the same efforts two years running. This could potentially annoy a lot of people, especially for a player who is approaching retirement and has generated colossal revenues since the start of his career. Not to mention the fact that winning one last title should be his priority.

@slimemuse: “He gave up on winning years ago.”