The Los Angeles Lakers’ 2024 offseason is off to an encouraging start.
They hired a bright young coach in JJ Redick. They landed top 10 pick Dalton Knecht with the No. 17 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. They made history by uniting LeBron James with his eldest son, Bronny James, with their No. 55 selection. D’Angelo Russell, perhaps the biggest domino of their offseason, has agreed to participate, giving them an expiring mid-sized contract to potentially trade.
Then, on Saturday, nearly five hours before the 5 p.m. ET deadline, LeBron James opted to terminate his contract with the intention of re-signing with the Lakers, according to AthleticismThis is Shams Charania. Athleticism previously reported that the Lakers wanted James back and were willing to offer him the type of contract he prefers.
James’s exit is another win for the Lakers, who could save at least $1.5 million in cap space if he doesn’t exercise his $51.4 million player option for next season. (The tradeoff for James is that he’s eligible to add a no-trade clause to his contract, which would give him control over his future.)
James could be willing to take an even bigger pay cut if it allows the Lakers to open the non-taxpayer mid-level exception (worth about $12.9 million) for the right types of players, according to Bleacher Report. James’ agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, told ESPN that his client would only be willing to take a cut for an “impact player,” with James Harden, Klay Thompson and Jonas Valančiūnas among the reported names who would fit the profile. The non-taxpayer mid-level exception would be a significant pay cut for Harden and Thompson, in particular.
However, there is mutual interest between the Lakers and Thompson, as The AthleticCharania and Anthony Slater were the first to report.
Thompson, a Southern California native, is the son of Mychal Thompson, who played for the Showtime Lakers from 1987 to 1991 and is the team’s current radio commentator. The younger Thompson, 34, is a four-time NBA champion and one of the greatest shooters of all time. Thompson spent his 12 professional seasons with the Golden State Warriors, but the relationship has broken down to the point where Thompson is likely to leave. The Lakers, Dallas Mavericks and LA Clippers are all chasing him.
If James accepts a discount so the Lakers can access their full non-taxpayer mid-tier exception, the Lakers will be capped at the first apron of $178.7 million. That means James is set to take a cut of more than $16 million with his starting salary around just over $33 million for the 2024-25 season. The most likely salary reduction scenario would be for James to sign a two-year contract with a player option for 2025-2026, allowing him to opt out in 2025 and re-sign for more money, according to sources at the league. The Lakers could also make a small salary swap (or two) to create more financial wiggle room and allow James to take a smaller decrease.
If the Lakers don’t land a star or a high-level starter with their non-taxpayer mid-level exception, James will sign the max, according to ESPN. If LeBron re-signs at his max for 2024-25 (about $49.9 million), the Lakers will have about $182.3 million in committed salary. That leaves them with less than $8 million under the second apron ($189.5 million). James also wants his contract resolved before he begins training at the U.S. men’s basketball Olympic minicamp on July 6 in Las Vegas.
Regardless of what happens with James, the Lakers are in a good position to improve their roster if they choose. The ball is in their court as to the rest of the offseason.
Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka tempered expectations earlier in the week – twice – by saying trades were more difficult to execute under the new collective bargaining agreement of the NBA. On the face of it, this is true, given the new punitive restrictions of the first and second apron.
At the same time, last week’s trading activity, particularly among the top teams in the Western Conference, paints a different reality. During this period, the Oklahoma City Thunder traded for defensive ace Alex Caruso, the Minnesota Timberwolves for No. 8 pick Rob Dillingham, the Denver Nuggets traded for DaRon Holmes II and Reggie Jackson to try to retain Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the Dallas Mavericks traded Tim Hardaway Jr. so they could retain starter Derrick Jones Jr. (or sign Thompson) and the New Orleans Pelicans made a nifty deal for the former NFL target. Lakers Dejounte Murray.
The rest of the West is looking for ways to make trades that improve their rosters or serve as precursors to other moves. Now it’s up to the Lakers to do the same.
They have the assets to do a notable business. Russell’s $18.7 million contract gives them some level of flexibility in what types of players they can pursue. Add in one or both of their future first-round picks, up to three pick swaps and the average salaries of Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt and/or Gabe Vincent, and the Lakers can be part of the conversation for at pretty much any no. -star (and even some low-end stars). Again, before factoring in the potential addition of Thompson or another high-impact player for their non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
As for trades, it seems unlikely that the Lakers will land a third star in a deal unless an unanticipated star secretly becomes available. Donovan Mitchell is reportedly likely to sign a contract extension with Cleveland, which would lead him to the deal. Trae Young’s move from Klutch Sports to CAA also makes a trade to the Lakers less likely, as The Athletic as has been previously reported. Murray is now in New Orleans and off the board. Darius Garland could possibly become available, but he’s clearly a step behind Mitchell and Young’s all-star group.
However, there are some good potential options. Wings like Portland’s Jerami Grant, former Lakers player Kyle Kuzma and Nets duo Dorian Finney-Smith and Cam Johnson are expected to be available on the trade market, according to league sources. They’re not the biggest players to shake things up, but any of these four players would improve the Lakers’ perimeter defense, forward line size and/or floor spacing. Grant, for his part, would check each of these boxes; he quietly shot over 40% from three-point range in two straight seasons in Portland.
The Lakers’ roster as it currently stands is not good enough to make it out of the Western Conference. They can win a round, or two, if the tables turn in their favor, but they have too many gaps compared to the rest of the Western Conference’s top teams, especially on the wings. Their size, defense, speed, and overall athleticism are all lacking compared to their competition. James and Davis have recently made it clear that they think this roster needs improvement.
The Timberwolves, Thunder, Mavericks and Pelicans all have better rosters than they finished last season. Denver’s standing could change if it loses Caldwell-Pope in free agency and the Clippers could likely fall if they lose Paul George, but more importantly, the rest of the West is reorganizing, which could create even more distance between them and the Lakers. If the Lakers are serious about competing for the title with James and Davis, they need to bolster that supporting cast.
The most immediate complication of this effort is the player shortage the Lakers face. Assuming LeBron James re-signs, they will have 14 players under contract after Russell, Christian Wood, Jaxson Hayes and Cam Reddish opt out and they select Knecht and Bronny James. And that’s not counting their other free agents (Max Christie, Taurean Prince and Spencer Dinwiddie) or any potential free agents.
The Lakers have made a qualifying offer to Christie to officially make him a restricted free agent, team sources confirmed to Athleticism. The front office would like to keep Christie and consider him a rotation player next season, the sources said. However, the Lakers would need to clear additional money and roster space to sign Christie and one other player, barring any mid-level non-taxpayers.
If Russell had opted out, the Lakers would have had fewer choices in the transfer market. But with his pick, James interested in a pay cut for the right free agent and the Lakers armed with several mid-salaries, two first-round picks and several trade picks to trade, there’s no excuse for that Los Angeles does not significantly improve its roster with one or two big transfers in the coming days.
(Top photo: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)