Many Los Angeles Lakers fans who want LeBron James to remain with the team next season are most likely hoping he takes some sort of pay cut in order to help the franchise retain its other free agents and also upgrade its roster. He made $52.6 million this season, and taking a max or near-max salary for next season would seriously handicap Los Angeles in its efforts to build a truly championship-caliber roster around Luka Doncic.
Retirement still remains an option for James this offseason, although most expect him to play at least one more campaign. In an exclusive interview with Time magazine, James explained what will dictate how much longer he stays in the NBA.
“It’s up to the mind,” says James, 41. “Where the mind goes, the body will lay. When I’m not in love with getting to the arenas on game days five hours before to start my preparation, if I’m out of love with getting to practice 2½ hours beforehand, then I know I’ll be done. Because then I’m going to start cheating the game.”
That echoed what James said right after the Lakers were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in this year’s Western Conference semifinals. That evening, he said that if he could commit to showing up early and giving it everything he has, he could continue to play basketball.
But in his interview with Time, he gave no indication of whether he would possibly take a little less money on his next contract to help the Lakers in their quest for their 18th championship.
“James appears in no rush to decide on next season,” wrote Sean Gregory. “While Bronny [James] remains under contract with the Lakers for at least one more year, his dad is entering free agency. But when asked if he’d take a discount to come back to L.A. and give the team more financial flexibility, James declined to comment.”
At least one report has indicated that the future Hall of Famer will not take the mid-level exception to join another team, which, in all likelihood, is all the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors, the two other teams considered to be in the running for his services, can offer him.
The Lakers are projected to have roughly $50 million in salary cap space this summer, but making sure the math will math as far as upgrading a roster that brought them a 53-29 record this season won’t be easy.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: LeBron James won’t say whether he will take a pay cut with the Lakers
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