LeBron James is exercising his $52.6-million player option to remain with his son on the Los Angeles Lakers for the upcoming 2025 season. While that’s certainly good news for James and his family, it also means that one of the NBA’s most luxurious franchises will be hard-pressed for cash this offseason.
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James’ decision to maximize his yearly salary bucks the trend of star players taking pay cuts to help their teams, which was initially set forth by the likes of Michael Jordan and Tom Brady. According to the New York Times bestselling author John LeFevre, LeBron’s lack of willingness to take a pay cut marks the end of the G.O.A.T. debate.
LeBron maxed out his pay – taking $52 million for next season, leaving the Lakers with $6 million to spend on free agents and trades.
Michael Jordan and Tom Brady both took pay cuts to help their teams build a championship roster.
GOAT conversation over. pic.twitter.com/6svbYSDE2g
— John LeFevre (@JohnLeFevre) June 29, 2025
While skipping out on a payday isn’t a hard requirement for achieving G.O.A.T. status, Brady’s willingness to take pay cuts throughout his time in New England has become somewhat legendary. According to the Patriots’ former Vice President, Scott Piolo, Brady was routinely paid “less than he should have.“
During a recent interview with Julian Edelman, Piolo explained how those pay cuts were directly responsible for extending the reign of the Patriots’ dynasty.
“We were trying to keep the team together. We didn’t expect people to take ‘home team’ discounts. We were hopeful that people would want to spread it and keep the winning, because we thought high tides raise all boats and the more that we won there was all these other opportunities. Marketing, etc.”
By the time Brady was ready to negotiate his third deal with the team, money was tight, and negotiations ground to a halt. Annoyed by the fact that dollar amounts were being placed before football, Brady took matters into his own hands by paying Piolo a visit.
“One morning, he comes up to my office, closes the door, and he says, “Hey, can we talk about this contract?” I’m like, Tommy, we can’t have a negotiation. That’s against the rules… Tommy’s like, “Listen, you guys just get this done.” …He looks at me, shakes his head, looks away, and goes, ‘If I can’t live the rest of my life off of $60 million, and my family, I’ve got problems.'”
Unfortunately, LeBron doesn’t have the same luxury that was afforded to Brady. The Patriots had a championship-caliber team that they were merely hoping to keep together, while the current roster of the Los Angeles Lakers appears to be anything but.
Their blockbuster trade for Luka Doncic suggests that the franchise is more interested in preparing for life after James rather than trying to make the most of what little time he likely has left.
Factor in the general lack of depth and the fact that the Lakers were on the wrong end of a gentleman’s sweep in the opening round of the playoffs, and it becomes readily apparent that James’ unwillingness to take a pay cut won’t be the only reason for Los Angeles’ woes in 2025.
