Not even days after the Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated by Minnesota in the first round, speculation around LeBron James' future has already begun. It is understandable, with LeBron holding a player option that would allow the veteran star to stay in Los Angeles for another season or look to cash in during free agency one last time. It is impossible to believe James will choose to walk away.
Aside from the star power of Luka Dončić, the Lakers made a big deal of acquiring Bronny James. It appears that a big reason why LeBron is still playing at such a high level is the ability to play with his son. Walking away simply doesn't make sense for either side. However, Lakers fans shouldn't expect James to be taking a pay cut anytime soon.
NBA Pundit Rachel Nichols Suggests LeBron Consider Playing for League Minimum Salary
"The thing you cannot buy with whatever money you get in that contract is championship rings."@Rachel__Nichols joins @ColinCowherd and proposes that LeBron James take the league minimum to allow the Lakers to acquire another star player. pic.twitter.com/PEVHp2Febn
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) May 7, 2025
The suggestion was made on FS1's The Herd that LeBron could follow in the footsteps of Tom Brady and take a pay cut to allow the Lakers to add an additional star. Why would the long-time face of the league ever consider this? While there are many fair critiques of James or his accomplished career, one thing that has to be said is that the star has been extremely thoughtful of his power.
It was James who set the stage for an age of player empowerment and stars working together rather than always relying on an inconsistent front office to build a championship core. With this in mind, James opting to take a pay cut at the end of his career simply doesn't make sense. It sets a dangerous example that takes money out of the players' pockets and gives owners the ability to leverage LeBron's sacrifice against stars who want to win.
James taking a pay cut might be explained simply by Nichols, but it is simply a terrible idea that makes zero sense for the Lakers' star. What Los Angeles lacks is size and bench depth. These are issues the team can easily fix with their current assets and cap space. LeBron taking a pay cut to make room for another star isn't what the franchise needs.
Not only this, but it sets a potentially dangerous example that can be used against other aging stars in the future. The most likely path for James is opting into his player option and giving the team another full season of Luka with far more time to build around the star. This is the team's path back to the Finals, any suggestion otherwise ignores what cost this team their first-round exit only weeks ago.