If there is one thing we have come to know about Lakers star LeBron James during his two decades in the NBA, it’s that the man does not leave money on the table. He has, historically, configured his contracts to maximize the amount he can receive under the collective bargaining agreement and, those who know James report that the running joke from his appearance in the movie “Trainwreck,” which had him counting nickels on lunch tabs to reflect his frugality, is not far from the truth.
Which makes the latest report on James’ future a bit of a head-scratcher. According to NBA reporter Evan Sidery of Forbes and Sporting News, the Phoenix Suns are planning to make a pitch to James to join Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal in the Valley as a free agent this summer.
For a minimum contract.
Yes, apparently, the pitch is for James to opt out of the final year and $51 million on his contract, turn down the potential for a three-year, $164 million deal with the Lakers, and join a team that was swept out of the playoffs so that he can sign on to play for $3.3 million.
LeBron James Could be Lured by Suns Drafting Bronny
Now, there is an extra lure the Suns could use here: Bronny James and the well-known desire James has to play with his son as teammates. Bronny James has entered his name in 2024 NBA draft, and while he does not have first-round talent, he has the last name. The idea is that the Suns would draft Bronny, and that would bring in his dad.
Here’s what Sidery wrote on Twitter/X:
“The Suns are hoping to pursue LeBron James this offseason, which is why Bronny James is a very serious draft option at No. 22 overall to potentially lure him in. Phoenix appears to believe they can convince LeBron to join forces with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal to create a historic superteam.
“LeBron would be sacrificing almost $50 million next season, if he were to legitimately consider joining the Suns on a veteran’s minimum contract. Could the Suns really be plotting LeBron and Bronny as their big plan? It certainly seems that’s on the table.”
Again, LeBron James would be sacrificing more than $50 million next season, but beyond that, he would lose his ability to sign on a for a big contract beyond that—he’d have to sign another veteran minimum the following year to stay with Phoenix.
So, he would be sacrificing something closer to the $164 million over three years the Lakers could give him.
Lakers’ Bigger Threat Likely to Be Sixers
All this is to say that if the Suns really plan to use Bronny as a lure to get James to Phoenix, they had better strongly reconsider. There is a thought among NBA front-office types, no doubt, that drafting Bronny James now could lead to landing LeBron James, too.
But not at the minimum. James does not want to play with his son that badly, nor does he need to play with him in 2024-25. James could put off teaming up with Bronny until the end of his career.
A more realistic poaching possibility would be a team like the Sixers, which has the cap space to sign James outright this summer if and when he opts out of the last year of his contract. The Sixers have the 16th pick this year, and that might be a stretch for Bronny James. But the Sixers could trade down, pick Bronny, then dangle a max deal in front of James.
Even that, though, is a longshot. James has shown no indication he wants to leave Los Angeles, and he has been clear that he hopes to wrap his career as a Laker. Speculation around James will always run high, but a minimum deal in Phoenix is almost certainly out of the question.
Like Heavy.com’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy.com
The post Lakers’ LeBron James a Target for West ‘Superteam’ Despite $50 Million Pay Cut: Report appeared first on Heavy.com.