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$11 Billion Western Conference team has bold LeBron James plan if Lakers door ever cracks originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
LeBron James is entering his 24th NBA season as an unrestricted free agent, and right now, the Los Angeles Lakers remain the favorite to keep him in purple and gold.
His previous two-year, $101 million contract just ended. Last season, James averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists while shooting 51.5%. Because of these numbers, his camp expects a maximum-salary offer.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported on ESPN Cleveland that staying in Los Angeles is the main goal. "I think the focus right now is making a deal with the Lakers," Windhorst said, also noting that the rest of the league expects them to finalize a deal within the next two weeks.
But King James hasn't tipped his hand publicly. After the Lakers' second-round exit to the OKC Thunder, he left everything on the table, including retirement. "I don't know, obviously. We're still fresh from losing," he said.
However, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka faces real competition to keep the 41-year-old forward. Betting markets give the Lakers a 51% to 56% chance of re-signing James, meaning there is a 49% chance the 4-times NBA champion goes elsewhere
ESPN's Anthony Slater reports that the Golden State Warriors, whose valuation is $11 billion, are ready to move if the Lakers' "door cracks."
Team sources say that if negotiations fail, the Warriors will clear roster space to offer James their full $15.1 million mid-level exception. While this would be a major pay cut for James, it gives Golden State an affordable, low-risk signing with massive business and basketball upside.
James and Stephen Curry spent a decade as the league's top rivals, facing each other in four straight NBA Finals from 2015 to 2018. Pairing them now would immediately change the landscape of the league. James is already a good friend of Draymond Green, and Warriors head coach Steve Kerr coached James at the Paris Olympics. These connections make the fit easy to see.
For now, ESPN's reporting frames this as a contingency, not a Plan A, because the Lakers remain the heavy favorite. But if that door cracks even slightly, the Western Conference suitor is ready to make its move first.
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