How LeBron James Max Contract Would Impact Lakers’ Salary Cap in NBA Free Agency

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The Los Angeles Lakers may need to dish out significant money to LeBron James.

After the Lakers lost out in the Klay Thompson sweepstakes, the idea of getting James on a lesser deal seemingly went out the window. Assuming he signs a max contract, ESPN’s Bobby Marks reported that the Lakers would need to shed around $25 million to use the non-tax mid-level exception.

Bobby Marks @BobbyMarks42

Here is the Lakers offseason if LeBron James signed for the maximum allowed.

Los Angeles would need to shave roughly $25M (and maybe more) of salary to have access to the $12.8M non-tax mid-level exception.

Any sign-and-trade also hard caps the Lakers at the $178.1M first… pic.twitter.com/SfE30lxlVI

The Lakers would spend $190 million in this situation, which is $1.1 million over the second apron and $11.9 million over the first apron.

James’ play on the court makes him very deserving of a max contract. He averaged 25.7 points, 8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds in 71 games in 2023-24 and still remains the focal point of the Lakers at 39 years old.

The Lakers have made the postseason four times during his tenure with the team and won the 2019-20 NBA championship. He is technically still a free agent open to the market, but all expectations are that he will return to the Lakers and play alongside his son in 2024-25 and potentially beyond.

The Lakers went 47-35 and fell to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs in 2023-24.

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