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When LeBron James decided to join the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year, $8 million contract, he locked in some interesting NBA history, becoming the player to take the biggest pay cut ever. After shattering the record for most points scored in a career, as well as most 1st Team All-NBAs, most All-Star appearances and most consecutive games scoring double-digit points, the biggest pay cut in NBA history doesn't quite have the same level of aura, but even then, it's more history made by the Akron native.
James appeared to be trending this direction for a while now, after multiple reports came out saying that his next, and perhaps final, free-agent decision wouldn't revolve around money at all, but around the ability to compete for a championship and overall happiness. We must say, if that's what James cared about most, he made a great decision in joining a loaded Sixers squad, one featuring Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid, with Anfernee Simons and Dean Wade coming off the bench.
Regardless, James went from making an astronomical $52.63 million in his final season with the Los Angeles Lakers, 2025-26, to earning just $3.88 million this upcoming season in Philadelphia, for a pay cut of $48.75 million, now the largest in NBA history.
For a player who is now 41 years old and has career earnings of over $581 million, that surely feels like a drop in the bucket, but it's noteworthy history nonetheless.
James claimed the record for the largest pay cut in NBA history from former teammate Russell Westbrook, who had held it since slicing $43.2 million (91.9 percent) off his salary between 2022-23 and 2023-24, when he re-signed with the Los Angeles Clippers. Blake Griffin also cracks the Top 3, having shed $29.5 million from 2021-22 (Detroit, Brooklyn) to 2022-23, his final season in Boston.
Another player new to the Top 5 in this distinction, like James, is veteran swingman Khris Middleton, who signed a three-year, $17.61 million contract this offseason to rejoin the Washington Wizards. Middleton's new deal will pay him $5.59 million next season, after his previous deal had him earning $35.09 million last year, for a pay cut of $29.50 million, now the fourth-largest ever.
And finally, rounding out the Top 5 biggest pay cuts in NBA history is Klay Thompson, who took a $27.3 million pay cut from 2023-24, his final season in Golden State, to 2024-25, his first season in Dallas.
James is now arguably on one of the best value contracts in the NBA, as he's coming off a season that saw him average roughly 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists per game. Getting that type of production for a season for less than $4 million is just about what every NBA GM dreams of. And considering James will be playing alongside the likes of Brown, Embiid and Maxey, he'll be able to coast until the playoffs, when he might be needed to close out big games.
So although his decision was surprising, in hindsight, it maybe shouldn't have been, as Philadelphia more than likely gives James his best chance at winning another championship to close out his once-in-a-lifetime career. If he does pull that off, James would become the first player ever to win four championships with four teams, a record that would be far more exciting than that of biggest pay cut in league history.
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: LeBron James is going to take the biggest pay cut in NBA history
Continue reading...
James appeared to be trending this direction for a while now, after multiple reports came out saying that his next, and perhaps final, free-agent decision wouldn't revolve around money at all, but around the ability to compete for a championship and overall happiness. We must say, if that's what James cared about most, he made a great decision in joining a loaded Sixers squad, one featuring Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid, with Anfernee Simons and Dean Wade coming off the bench.
Regardless, James went from making an astronomical $52.63 million in his final season with the Los Angeles Lakers, 2025-26, to earning just $3.88 million this upcoming season in Philadelphia, for a pay cut of $48.75 million, now the largest in NBA history.
For a player who is now 41 years old and has career earnings of over $581 million, that surely feels like a drop in the bucket, but it's noteworthy history nonetheless.
James claimed the record for the largest pay cut in NBA history from former teammate Russell Westbrook, who had held it since slicing $43.2 million (91.9 percent) off his salary between 2022-23 and 2023-24, when he re-signed with the Los Angeles Clippers. Blake Griffin also cracks the Top 3, having shed $29.5 million from 2021-22 (Detroit, Brooklyn) to 2022-23, his final season in Boston.
Another player new to the Top 5 in this distinction, like James, is veteran swingman Khris Middleton, who signed a three-year, $17.61 million contract this offseason to rejoin the Washington Wizards. Middleton's new deal will pay him $5.59 million next season, after his previous deal had him earning $35.09 million last year, for a pay cut of $29.50 million, now the fourth-largest ever.
And finally, rounding out the Top 5 biggest pay cuts in NBA history is Klay Thompson, who took a $27.3 million pay cut from 2023-24, his final season in Golden State, to 2024-25, his first season in Dallas.
James is now arguably on one of the best value contracts in the NBA, as he's coming off a season that saw him average roughly 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists per game. Getting that type of production for a season for less than $4 million is just about what every NBA GM dreams of. And considering James will be playing alongside the likes of Brown, Embiid and Maxey, he'll be able to coast until the playoffs, when he might be needed to close out big games.
So although his decision was surprising, in hindsight, it maybe shouldn't have been, as Philadelphia more than likely gives James his best chance at winning another championship to close out his once-in-a-lifetime career. If he does pull that off, James would become the first player ever to win four championships with four teams, a record that would be far more exciting than that of biggest pay cut in league history.
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: LeBron James is going to take the biggest pay cut in NBA history
Continue reading...
