The Los Angeles Lakers’ 2024 offseason is off to a strong start.
They hired a young and smart coach in JJ Redick, they acquired top-10 prospect Dalton Knecht with the 17th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, they made history by pairing LeBron James and his oldest son, Bronny James, with the 55th pick, and they had D’Angelo Russell opt-in in what may have been the biggest domino to fall this offseason, coming into a mid-sized expiring contract that could lead to a trade.
Then on Saturday, about five hours before the 5 p.m. ET deadline, LeBron James reportedly opted out of his contract with the intention of re-signing with the Lakers. AthleticShams Charania. Athletic It was previously reported that the Lakers wanted James back and were willing to offer him whatever contract he wanted.
James opting out of his contract is another win for the Lakers, who could potentially save at least $1.5 million from the team’s cap sheet by not exercising his $51.4 million player option for next season. (The trade-off for James is that he is eligible to add a no-trade clause to his contract, giving him more control over his future.)
According to Bleacher Report, James may also be willing to take a larger pay cut on top of that if the Lakers are able to use the nontaxpayer mid-level exception (worth about $12.9 million) for the right type of player. James’ agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, told ESPN that James would only take a pay cut for an “impact player,” and that James Harden, Klay Thompson and Jonas Valanciunas have been reported as players who fit that criteria. The nontaxpayer mid-level exception would represent a significant pay cut, especially for Harden and Thompson.
But there is mutual interest between the Lakers and Thompson. AthleticCharania and Anthony Slater first reported the news.
Thompson, a native of Southern California, is the son of Michael Thompson, who played for the Showtime Lakers from 1987 to 1991 and is currently a radio commentator for the team. The 34-year-old brother is a four-time NBA champion and one of the best shooters of all time. Thompson spent 13 professional seasons with the Golden State Warriors, but his relationship with the Warriors has deteriorated and he is likely to leave the team. The Lakers, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers are all in the running to acquire him.
If James were to take a discount so the Lakers could take full advantage of the nontaxpayer mid-level exception, the Lakers would have a first-tier cap hit of $178.7 million. That means James’ starting salary for the 2024-25 season would be just over $33 million, and he would have to take a discount of more than $16 million. The most likely salary reduction scenario, according to league sources, is for James to sign a two-year contract with a player option for the 2025-26 season, allowing him to opt out in 2025 and re-sign for more money. The Lakers could also make smaller salary-reduction trades (one or two) to create some financial breathing room and reduce James’ salary reduction.
According to ESPN, James will sign at the maximum if the Lakers are unable to acquire a star player or high-level starter under the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. If LeBron re-signs at the maximum amount (about $49.9 million) for the 2024-25 season, the Lakers’ contract salary will be approximately $182.3 million. That would be $8 million less than the second apron ($189.5 million). James also wants to settle his contract before he begins practice at the U.S. Men’s Olympic Basketball Minicamp in Las Vegas on July 6.
Regardless of what happens with James, the Lakers are in a position to upgrade their team if they want to. How the rest of the offseason plays out will be up to them.
Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka twice tried to temper expectations earlier this week, saying trades would be harder to execute under the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement. At face value, that’s true, given the punitive new restrictions on the first and second aprons.
At the same time, trade activity over the past week, especially among the top teams in the Western Conference, highlights a different reality: During that time, the Oklahoma City Thunder traded for defensive ace Alex Caruso, the Minnesota Timberwolves traded for No. 8 pick Rob Dillingham, the Denver Nuggets acquired Darron Holmes II and traded Reggie Jackson at a reduced salary to retain Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the Dallas Mavericks traded Tim Hardaway Jr. at a reduced salary to retain starter Derrick Jones Jr. (or sign Thompson), and the New Orleans Pelicans made a smart trade to acquire former Lakers target Dejounte Murray.
Other teams in the West have been looking for ways to make trades that could add depth or serve as a precursor to other moves, and now the Lakers must do the same.
They have the assets to make a noteworthy trade. Russell’s $18.7 million contract gives them some flexibility in terms of the type of player they can acquire. Add in one or both future first-round picks, up to three pick swaps, and Rui Hachimura, Jarrett Vanderbilt, and/or Gabe Vincent at a mid-range salary, and the Lakers could acquire just about any non-star player (or even a lesser star). Again, this is before considering the possibility of acquiring Thompson or another impact player under the non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
As for a trade, it seems unlikely the Lakers would acquire a third star player unless an unexpected player becomes available quietly. Donovan Mitchell is reportedly likely to sign a contract extension with Cleveland, which would sideline him. Trae Young’s move from Klutch Sports to CAA also makes a trade to the Lakers less likely. Athletic As previously reported, Murray is currently in New Orleans and has gone undrafted. Darius Garland may become available, but he’s clearly an inferior prospect compared to stars like Mitchell and Young.
Still, there are potentially good options. Wings like Portland’s Jeremi Grant, former Laker Kyle Kuzma and both Nets players Dorian Finney-Smith and Cam Johnson are expected to be available on the trade market, according to league sources. They wouldn’t be game-changers, but any of those four would bolster the Lakers’ perimeter defense, frontcourt size and floor spacing. Grant fits all those boxes; he’s shot over 40 percent on 3-pointers for two straight seasons with Portland.
The Lakers’ current configuration isn’t good enough to make it out of the Western Conference. They could win the first round, or even the second if the tournament plays out in their favor, but they have too many holes compared to the top teams in the West, especially on the wings. They lack size on the perimeter, defense, and overall speed and athleticism compared to their competitors. James and Davis have both made it clear recently that they believe this team needs upgrades.
The Timberwolves, Thunder, Mavericks and Pelicans all have better rosters than they had last season. Denver could move up the rankings if they lose Caldwell-Pope in free agency, and the Clippers would likely drop if they lose Paul George, but the bigger problem is that other teams in the West are retooling and could put them further behind the Lakers. If the Lakers are serious enough about calling themselves championship contenders with James and Davis, they need to shore up this supporting cast.
The most immediate problem in this endeavor is the roster shortage the Lakers face. Assuming LeBron James re-signs, with Russell, Christian Wood, Jaxson Hayes and Cam Reddish opting in and Knecht and Bronny James being drafted, they have 14 players under contract. And that’s before you factor in other free agents (Max Christie, Taurean Prince and Spencer Dinwiddie) and future free agents.
The Lakers have extended a qualifying offer to Christie, officially making him a restricted free agent, a team source confirmed. Athletic. The front office would like to keep Christie and use him as a rotation player next season, according to sources, but the Lakers would need to free up additional funds and roster space to sign both Christie and another player under the nontaxpayer midlevel exception.
Had Russell opted out, the Lakers would have had fewer options on the trade market, but with him opting in, James expressing interest in taking a pay cut for the right free agent, and the Lakers possessing multiple mid-range salaries, two first-round draft picks and multiple trade pick swaps, there’s no excuse for Los Angeles not to dramatically bolster its depth with one or two big moves in the coming days.
(Top photo: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
