NBA fans might finally be getting clarity on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future soon. The Bucks are reportedly working towards trading their superstar before the trade deadline. If that does happen, the next ‘will he, won’t he’ scenario that will capture everyone’s attention is the future of LeBron James.
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LeBron is in the final year of his contract with the Lakers, and after this season, anything is possible. He may retire, or he may come back and put his record even farther out of reach by playing a 24th season. If he does, will it be in L.A., or will he go elsewhere to finish out his career?
One possibility in play is that LeBron could end it where it all began, back in Cleveland with the Cavaliers. The Cavs drafted the kid from Akron first overall in the 2003 draft, and though he burned some bridges by taking his talents to South Beach in 2010, he eventually righted that wrong by coming back and leading the Cavs to the first and only title in franchise history.
LeBron and his Lakers traveled to Cleveland last night, and though they got blown out by 30, all the talk afterwards was about whether this was LeBron’s last “home” game.
Brian Windhorst said on Get Up this morning that whether he re-signs with the Lakers or returns to the Cavs, LeBron may have to take “a significant pay cut.” On First Take, though, Stephen A. Smith dismissed money as an important factor on if and where LeBron will play next season.
“I need you to stop making a big deal about the money,” Stephen A. told Windy. “The brother’s a billionaire, and not only that, he makes a boatload of money off the court. Him taking a pay cut on the court is not much. He’s got it, OK? So let’s understand that. It’s really really about, do you want to stay in a Lakers uniform and keep losing and keep getting bounced out in the first round?”
Stephen A. rattled off five different teams in the West that are in better shape than the Lakers going forward, but said if he wants to make another postseason run, there’s a simple solution.
“I said this summer, LeBron should wanna leave and go to Cleveland. Because if you were Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, I got news for you. If LeBron James is anything like he has been, you’re going to the Finals,” he argued.
The Cavs have been disappointing after last season’s 64-win season and second-round playoff exit. They’re currently 29-20 and tied for fourth in the East, but they seem to be figuring things out lately as they’ve won five in a row and seven of eight.
Regardless of where LeBron ends up, Kendrick Perkins says he deserves whatever he makes and then some. “The word ‘pay cut’ should never be in the same sentence with LeBron James when it comes to the NBA,” he said. “I don’t give a damn if he’s 57. Dammit, even in his last year, which I believe should be next year, he still should be making over $50 million, and he should be in a Cavs uniform.”
Perk is so adamant about it that he said he’s going to have to call his wife Vanity and have her call LeBron’s wife Savannah to make it happen. It’s unclear if either of those ladies will be able to make the cap ramifications of a $50 million salary work, but that’s something that can be figured out this summer.
Whether LeBron deserves to be paid that much is a silly question. For all he’s meant to the game and all the billions he’s brought in globally, of course he deserves every penny and then some, and Stephen A. even admitted that. LeBron has always been concerned about his legacy, though, and if he wants to add another notch on his belt, he has to think practically.
The NBA is a game. Yes it’s basketball, but it’s its own game beyond that. The salary cap, signing and trading players, those are all rules and moves within the game. If LeBron is willing to play for less, he increases his chances of winning the game, and that should be his number one concern.
Say he goes to Cleveland. If he demands $50 million and the Cavs want to make that happen, then they’ll have to make some tough decisions on someone like Jarrett Allen, thereby denting their chances of winning big. If LeBron plays for less, now the Cavs have a better chance. The same is true if he signs with the Lakers or anyone else.
This is shaping up to be the Summer of LeBron all over again. Let’s find out what matters most to him.
