Could this be the end of LeBron James’ run with the Los Angeles Lakers? | FIRST THINGS FIRST

Could this be the end of LeBron James’ run with the Los Angeles Lakers? | FIRST THINGS FIRST

Okay. So, a little bit of a combo. He got the injury and his future. Take what you’d like. Listen, I there’s this time LeBron has a player option that he can exercise. He could, you know, opt out and extend. The he could just let, you know, opt in and just let his contract expire and then be a true free agent or he could opt out and just see what free agency is. I would be shocked if LeBron James plays anywhere but the Lakers next year. That’s first point. like we can do a bunch of fun whatifs like what if the Cavs get clipped one final run back on like there’s a lot of he will have the the freedom to play anywhere he wants contractually and there will be whether it’s with the Lakers or elsewhere an idea of should LeBron take less money and here is and for a lot of as a free agent he as a free correct like with Cleveland a good team that to leave the Lakers he almost assuredly would have to take a lot less money, but I’m sure there will be some people say, “Hey, why wouldn’t he just opt out and sign with the Lakers for less money so they have more flexibility?” And I think the answer to that is they LeBron is not earning the max because it’s a legacy max. He’s earning the max because he continues to be without a doubt a max level player. And so the reason I mentioned that is asking LeBron to opt out and take less is to me no different than asking Giannis if he he doesn’t have an opt out. It’s a little different. Why? Because LeBron I believe I don’t have the numbers in front of me has made more money. I don’t think I’m not I’m not I’m just saying you could say LeBron’s had 20 years of making big money. Giannis and you know LeBron’s made right. There’s no doubt LeBron’s made more. My point is if the argument is ah he’s got enough money anyway well so does Joker and Giannis and Steph and you know all those guys it so if LeBron were under a contract that he was drastically overpaid and then it’s like hey man you want to keep playing and you’re still a good player but you’re not you know one of the best players in the league then that’s a different situation he’s going to be second team allNNBA this year and so I think next year he’s going to be on the Lakers he’s going to be making the max he’s going to be playing alongside Luca. That’s what I think is next and what’s going to happen. First and credit to LeBron playing through that injury. And there were some people, you know, maybe there were some memes going around about him laying on the floor like he got shot or something like that, but turns out it was a legit injury and he played through it. So, so props to his toughness. Um, I I see no way that he is leaving the Lakers. If he left the Lakers in any scenario, I would be more shocked than when he went to Miami and when he went back to Cleveland and when he went to the Lakers in the first place. Like I would this would be more shocking to me than any of those if he left the Lakers. His family is settled there. His businesses are settled there. You know, the team is good. They have Luca, right? Like like where are you? You’re not going anywhere essentially where you’re playing with somebody better than Luca Jokic. Okay. Or Giannis maybe, but like you can’t go to a better scenario than you you can go to a better scenario, but with the money and everything, this is a great place for him. And so I I don’t think there’s any chance of him leaving it. And I think LeBron cuz some people of course he wants to win championships. And I think he felt when things started clicking with Luca that they had a real shot. Mhm. And he should have felt that way. But I don’t think I think he also understands that winning a fifth ring as maybe the second best player on the team, like it’s great and it still be good and it adds a pelt to my wall. But for those that are in the Jordan camp, it’s not changing them on that on that GOAT debate, which is really the only thing left that LeBron has to conquer. And so like if he went to a team, took less money and went to a Boston or like it doesn’t even look good if he went to some stack. So don’t you think he will get this is I said this last year and I I and then you go but no matter what he does contractually people people that want to criticize LeBron will criticize him for it. If he were to opt out and take the minimum, it would not be treated roundly and universally like some charitable gesture. The minimum would be to would be I I think criticized. But if he took a remember when he’s like trying to get Clay and there this article said he was going to take a pay cut for Valenunis to add if he opted out and stayed with the Lakers for less opted out be like, “Hey, we got to make a have a little wiggle room for Valenunis,” which I don’t know what. You’re right though cuz some people would be like stacking the deck. Exactly. It’s like what if it’s five if it’s 10% pay. So I don’t So again, this is my failing. But even if he took the minimum to get in a better player, I would applaud the minimum. He would get criticized for it unfairly, but he would be criticized. But he’s my if we’re saying he’s going to get criticized for taking the max, he’s going to get criticized for taking the men. But if he were to take $41 million, he won’t get criticized. for taking the max. He deserves the max. That Okay. I I Yeah. I don’t think you think I don’t think he’ll get criticized. I think some people will point out, “Oh, why don’t he take this money?” No one in what? No one does that. It’s just anyone who would have a legitimate criticism with taking the amount of money that you deserve. And guess what? He deserves more because artificially Exactly. So the max is a bargain. He should not take less than the max. The if he did, I wouldn’t be mad at if he wanted Valenunis. There was reports that he was open to the clay flirtation. Valenunis, I don’t know how I don’t think Mark Williams is the answer. I know we’re going to discuss it later. Valenunis would be great for them. So this is where this is what I was going to say and this is a bad job by me and I didn’t anticipate it going quite here. So, I didn’t scour the Lakers offseason cap. Very like some teams, I’m not sure if the Lakers are or not. Even if like LeBron were to take 10 million less, their cap situation stays the exact same. You know what I mean? He would have to take massively less in order to free up even like it would take 30 million less to free up 8 million in space. Doesn’t really Last year was a unique spot because of the contracts they could renounce and different things they could do. So it wouldn’t the only real way to open up real cap space honestly is for him to take like the mid level or below. And now that’s like a for again it I would I think I would feel differently if it were a guy who’s made as much money as LeBron, played as long as LeBron and had fallen off significantly but still wants to rush and had an op like still wants to compete for a championship and right but had a player option for the Max like hey man we love you and we’re not going to get rid of you but can you help us out here because you’re not giving us max level production. He was over the course of the regular season the best player on the team and arguably over the course of the playoffs the best player on the team and he’s gonna you know he’s still a top 10 player in the league. If he did it I wouldn’t kill him. I’d be like good for LeBron. It’s just his choice. He shouldn’t be killed either way. You know what the article did mention? Kyrie at the game. Something or nothing. I mean how they going to get Kyrie I’m just saying not to mention Kyrie’s injury. The Yeah. The the Kyrie injury is the is the real fly in the ointment of that. I know. I’m just saying Kyrie was at the game. It’s I think he lives in Los Angeles. I mean, it’d be great. And and Lucas is her mano. Yeah. Is that the right word? Yeah. And and obviously he likes LeBron. Thanks for watching. Subscribe here to get more from the show and to check out clips from other shows on FS1.

Nick Wright, Kevin Wildes, and Chris Broussard react to the Los Angeles Lakers’ early playoff exit and debate whether this could be the end of LeBron James’ run in L.A.

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Could this be the end of LeBron James’ run with the Los Angeles Lakers? | FIRST THINGS FIRST

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