Lakers Rumors: LeBron James Open to Pay Cut for Klay Thompson, Harden Contracts

LeBron James appears to be approaching his next contract with contention in mind.

The 20-time All-Star opted out of his $51.4 million player option for 2024-25, but is expected to remain with the Los Angeles Lakers on a new deal. While he is eligible for a three-year, $162 million deal, ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported that James is willing to take a lesser deal to help the Lakers sign another prominent player.

"The type of player that James would be willing to make a financial sacrifice for would be an established veteran playmaker like James Harden or Klay Thompson, or an established big man to play alongside Anthony Davis -- like Jonas Valančiūnas," McMenamin wrote.

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James remains a force to be reckoned with even into the twilight of his playing career. He averaged 25.7 points, 8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds in 71 games for the Lakers in 2023-24. This helped the team go 47-35 and reach the postseason.

However, it was a short lived playoff run as the Lakers fell to the Denver Nuggets in five games. This led to the firing of head coach Darvin Ham, and now J.J. Redick will take the helm.

The Lakers added Dalton Knecht and James' son Bronny in the 2024 NBA Draft, but adding another veteran to the core could be what is needed for the team to contend with the top teams in the West. James signing at the highest value would hinder that opportunity, even if it would be justified.