What to do with LeBron James is one of the most important problems facing the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason. Given that the Lakers’ star forward’s pay is pushing the team’s salary cap to its limit, one of their fiercest competitors, Draymond Green, may have the solution.
The dynamic between “King James” and head coach Darvin Ham hasn’t been the best, even aside from the pay cap. James’ exit from the organization has been the subject of growing speculation in recent weeks, especially in light of the team’s loss to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals.
The Golden State Warriors are thought to be the 21-year veteran’s most likely destination, according to pundits. According to rumors, James may even forgo his enormous contract the following season in order to make his dream of joining the Warriors come true. But Green appears to have figured out a method to save the Lakers from losing their star.
In the latest edition of his podcast, The Draymond Green Show, the star forward for the Warriors proposed that James could still choose to opt out of his current contract if he wanted to stay in Los Angeles, which would make it easier to negotiate a new one.
“LeBron could opt out of that deal, be a free agent, they can sign someone with cap space and then sign LeBron back,”Green added. The Michigan State product believed that the Lakers’ defeat against the Nuggets demonstrated the weakness of their roster.
“Are you comfortable going into the next season with pretty much the same supporting cast you have and LeBron and AD (Anthony Davis)?” Draymond was presented to the Los Angeles board.
Green’s proposition is intriguing, yet there are rumors to the contrary. LeBron hasn’t revealed any specific plans for the upcoming campaign, and the Lakers won’t let their best player depart without a fight.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that the Lakers are prepared to give in to James’ demands and would extend an enormous three-year, $164 million contract to him. A no-trade clause that would tie the “King” to the franchise until 2027 would be a part of the arrangement.