Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is now a free agent for the first time since 2018 and the first major rumor is already out.
ESPN insider Brian Windhorst, who’s covered James since his high school days, said on Tuesday that James is not willing to take a major pay cut to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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“The Cavs, today, can sign LeBron for $3 million. He made 54 (million) this year. To my knowledge, LeBron is not prepared to take that kind of pay cut,” Windhorst said.
The Cavaliers have always been one of the teams rumored as a possible destination if James were to leave L.A., but Windhorst is right when he says Cleveland can’t simply sign LeBron James.
As of publication, the Cavs have very little cap space to work with, far less than what Windhorst expects James to accept.
This means there’s only one truly viable way for the Cavs to bring James back, a sign-and-trade.
When trades come into play, it casts doubt on James landing back in Cleveland. As incredible as he is, James is 41 years old and doesn’t exactly address the team needs that presented themselves this postseason.
That isn’t to say he wouldn’t be a huge difference maker, but it means Cleveland’s front office will be more hesitant to ship off multiple major pieces in a trade.
On the other end, he’s given no public indication as to whether he’ll remain on the Lakers or play elsewhere next season. If we know anything for certain, it’s that all eyes will be on James this summer.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
