Lakers

LeBron James Open To Taking Less Money; Opts Out Of His Option

Was anybody shocked to hear LeBron James was opting out of his $51.4 million player option? Not really, given what everyone has been hearing for the past few weeks. However, what is shocking to many is his willingness to take less money for the organization.

With Bronny James being drafted by Los Angeles, this further reinsures the Lakers’ fanbase that LeBron is coming back. According to multiple reports, he is expected to ink a deal to continue his partnership with Rob Pelinka and the team.

For reference on what a potential contract could look like for the 39-year-old, James could get a three-year deal worth up to $160 million. Now, per Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes, LeBron is very much open to taking less money to achieve more incredible things for Los Angeles.

Depending on what the Lakers do with D’Angelo Russell after seeing him opt into his player option, LeBron would need to take precisely $12 million less than the max on his new extension. This would allow the Lakers to use the full MLE (Midlevel Exception).

By allowing this, the front office can use the MLE to sign multiple players to fill out their positional needs. Pelinka is under the microscope for what he will do this year’s offseason.