Los Angeles Lakers Set To Ask LeBron James To Take Potentially Major Pay Cut This Summer

The Los Angeles Lakers are one of, if not the most successful, franchises in NBA history, and in their latest era, they've had some relative success. Things under LeBron James started off well as they claimed another NBA Championship in the bubble, but since then, they've struggled to return to the NBA Finals.

Then, they went out and made a blockbuster trade for Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic, and with him locked in as their star of the future, things are once again looking up. That has left LeBron in a tricky situation, however, as he's looking for success in the twilight of his career, but now that he's not the face of the organization, many have questioned what his next move will be.

For some, that's returning to the Lakers for his last season in 2026–27, but if he wants to do that, Brian Windhorst has revealed the team will want him to take a 'significant pay cut'.

Right now, James is earning $52 million per season, and while he's still a solid contributor for the team, given his age and his previous career earnings, it's easy to see why they'd want him back for a lot less money next season.

Ultimately, this has opened the door for James to hit free agency one last time in his NBA career, and while it's unclear where he will end up, if he wants to return to LA, expect it to be on a very team-friendly deal.