Los Angeles Lakers: Four-step guide for LeBron James-Paul George team
By Jason Reed
2. Sign LeBron James to a max contract
Like it or not, the Los Angeles Lakers are going to have to give LeBron James a max contract for him to come to LA. There should be no pay cuts for LeBron. LeBron is the face of basketball and the best player of this generation. He alone makes the Lakers a contender. With all of this cap space and George already on the roster, there should be no hesitation to make this happen.
If the Lakers are smart, they should try and work out a deal that does not give James a player option until his second season in LA is finished. James is savvy in working out player options after virtually every season to explore his options. If the Lakers are going to bring him in, they need him to stay at least two years to see what this young core could really do.
The Philadelphia 76ers and Houston Rockets will also make it work to offer James a max deal, potentially moving some pieces to make room for The King. Thus, the Lakers cannot afford to come in a low-ball James in the hopes that he will be intrigued to play with Paul George.
Both Houston and Philly have stars in their own right, so just pitching Paul George to LeBron is not going to be enough.
And while LeBron will make much more in marketing in Los Angeles, he still deserves his fair share from the Lakers. The Lakers freed up this space for a reason, there is no better player to use it on than LeBron James.
Remaining cap space: $22.8 million